A group of anti-mask protesters temporarily closed a Trader Joe’s in Fresno.
While scientific evidence – and guidance from local, state and federal officials – supports the importance of wearing masks to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, “Burn the Mask” protesters blocked the supermarket’s entrance on Saturday afternoon. As a result, the store chose to close earlier. It was not closed by the police, as some social networks mistakenly claimed.
The video posted on social media shows a protester reading a prepared list of reasons why Trader Joe’s, a private company, should serve him, despite his refusal to wear a mask. While he argues closely and without a mask with a masked Trader Joe employee, he is applauded by a group of supporters, many filming on their phones. The protesters then start writing the names of the employees based on their badges. The man says they will be “legally prosecuted” for preventing them from entering the store, to which an employee says, “Okay” by closing the door on them.
The man cites the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as proof that he is being discriminated against, a common point of discussion for anti-maskers. Title II of the law says: “Everyone has the right to the full and equal enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages and accommodation from any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation based on race. , color, religion or national origin. “
Requiring a mask during a global health crisis does not violate any part of this act, say most legal experts, since the mask’s mandate applies to all people universally, rather than targeting specific individuals.
Despite frequent claims by anti-maskers that wearing masks violates their civil liberties, there is little constitutional basis for this. Masking mandates are unlikely to violate the First Amendment because wearing a mask does not inhibit a person’s ability to express themselves freely. In addition, private companies are allowed to enforce a myriad of rules, such as the requirement to wear shoes or shirts, to enter their stores. And the courts ruled last year that individuals have no right to ignore public health requirements.
A lawsuit opened in Florida last year alleging that the mask’s mandate inhibits “personal freedom and constitutional rights” was overturned by a judge.
“No constitutional right is violated by the mandate of the Administrative Rule … and that the requirement to use such coverage has a clear rationale based on the protection of public health,” decided the court.
“Constitutional rights and the ideals of a limited government do not … allow (citizens) to shirk their social obligations to the Americans or to society as a whole,” he added. “… After all, we have no constitutional right to infect other people.”
The main protester can be seen on video saying that he intends to file a lawsuit at the Department of Justice against Fresno Trader Joe’s and asks for “witnesses” to help him.
“We are also filing a lawsuit against the other guy, I don’t know his last name,” he says in reference to an employee who spoke to him earlier.
The Fresno Police Department confirmed to Fresno Bee that the police responded to reports of a disturbance, but no arrests were made.