Los Angeles officials on Monday expressed anger at the anti-vaccine protesters who temporarily blocked the vaccine distribution center at Dodger Stadium on Saturday and said they hoped to avoid future interruptions.
“I was very upset and discouraged,” said LA County supervisor Hilda Solis of the interruption of vaccination efforts.
Solis said authorities will create space for protesters in the future, who can share their views, but “will not disturb” the flow of traffic.
“I understand that people have rights to the 1st amendment. … But when you become disruptive and really create more problems through congestion, traffic jams or hostility in a way that is not conducive, I would like our public safety officials to be involved and to be there to protect everyone involved ”, Solis said.
Los Angeles Fire Department officials closed the main entrance to the stadium – one of the nation’s largest vaccination sites – for about an hour on Saturday, after 40 to 60 protesters showed up on the Stadium Way holding signs denouncing the masks while shouting baseless claims about the dangers of the vaccine.
The group dispersed at about 3 pm, and there were no reported arrests or injuries, said LAFD assistant chief Ellsworth Fortman, who oversees the department’s response to COVID-19. Fortman said about 5,740 doses of the vaccine were distributed on Saturday at the site, which distributes 5,700 to 7,700 doses daily. Workers were still vaccinating people inside the stadium during the time the main entrance was closed, he said.
While it is unclear who organized the protest, pamphlets promoting the event were shared online by the Shop Mask Free Los Angeles group, whose members have repeatedly appeared in supermarkets and stores in recent months and tried to buy items without masks.
The events usually end in discussions between group members and store employees, and sometimes generate responses from the police, according to videos the group posted online.
The date, more than 886,000 doses of the two types of COVID-19 vaccines were administered across the county, according to The Times vaccination tracker.
“LA County has administered more doses of vaccine today than any other county or large city in the United States, and we have the highest percentage of administration,” said Barbara Ferrer, county director of public health.
But shipments have been inconsistent. In the week of January 11, LA County received 193,950 doses of vaccine; the following week, he received only 168,575 doses and only 146,225 doses the following week.
“The rate of vaccination remains very slow due to the limited supply,” said Ferrer, adding that second doses are being prioritized among residents of the region.
The Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.