Dozens of Anti-mandate activists have entered a vaccinated only food court in Staten Island chanting "USA USA" pic.twitter.com/YtIrQrjGw8
— Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) September 25, 2021
Group opposing indoor vaccine mandate storms food court on Staten Island
A group opposed to New York City’s vaccine requirement for restaurants and other indoor activities stormed a Staten Island food court over the weekend — refusing to show proof-of-inoculation before sitting down to eat.
Video posted on YouTube and Twitter by freelance reporter Oliya Scootercaster shows the group of about 20 people march through the Staten Island Mall into its food court Saturday and sit down to eat, chanting slogans such as “USA!” and “F–k Joe Biden!”
“Everybody, go get food and eat — that is what we’re here to do,” a female protester says during the clips. “We’re going to meet over there and go into the food court area and sit our butts down and stay as long as we like!”
The city’s vaccine mandate requires New Yorkers who want to dine inside restaurants and malls, work out at a gym or attend an indoor concert to show proof they’ve gotten at least one of their shots.
People aren’t required to show proof of vaccination or wear masks to enter malls. But they have to show documentation that they’ve been immunized to get into the malls’ food courts.
The video shows the renegade group proceed into the Staten Island Mall’s food-court area after blowing right past security and signs notifying them to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
The demonstrators appear to be allowed to eat in the food court without incident, according to the video — and lead the crowd of fellow diners in chants of “My body, my choice!” “USA! USA!” and the Pledge of Allegiance.
“No mandate!” one woman says to the camera. “We’re not against the vaccine, we’re against the mandate!”
The city’s vaccine mandate, dubbed the “Key to NYC,” went into effect on Sept. 13.
Staten Island Mall owner-operator Brookfield Properties did not immediately return a request for comment from The Post on Sunday.