The protesters also spoke about the importance of informed consent and individuals’ rights to make their own medical choices. Photos and videos of the march likewise went viral on social media.
The tens of thousands of people who showed up in the nation’s capital for the march also wore anti-mandate apparel and carried relevant signage.
WATCH: This man and his son traveled from Arizona to Washington, D.C. for the #DefeatTheMandates rally. He’s fully vaccinated but says he and his family fled Seattle to avoid the mandates.pic.twitter.com/SFKnBw7cAJ
— Election Wizard 🇺🇸 (@ElectionWiz) January 23, 2022
Demonstrators even spoke to news stations about their various concerns. One person stated it was scary to be turned away from a restaurant all for the supposed transgression of not having vaccination papers.
Others at the event stated they walked away from their jobs once employers started requiring COVID vaccinations.
More on Defeat the Mandates
On DefeatTheMandatesDC.com, the site calls for an end to firing, demonizing, and segregating individuals based on whether or not they’ve taken a COVID shot.
Thousands have gathered at the #defeatthemandates protest at the Lincoln Memorial today in Washington, DC.pic.twitter.com/bsoAtevpJx
— Michael P Senger (@MichaelPSenger) January 23, 2022
These demonstrators likewise made it clear they are not against COVID vaccination itself; the issue only arises when people become forced to get the vaccine and subjected to job loss, exclusion from society, and other penalties if they refuse.
