Thousands of activists will this weekend show unity in their opposition to vaccine mandates as they gather at the Lincoln Memorial in protest of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions put in place across the nation.
The “Defeat the Mandates American Homecoming” rally, will meet on the National Mall on Sunday, January 23. According to the event website, the march starts at 11:30 a.m. and will be followed by a rally from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Organizers of the event said the demonstration is to show unity in opposition to vaccine mandates.
Among speakers scheduled to address the rally is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist. Kennedy is the founder and chairman of Children’s Health Defense. Since 2005, Kennedy has been a proponent of the idea that vaccines cause autism in young children, a claim which has not been scientifically discredited.
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“No to Vaccine Mandates. No to Vaccine Passports. No to Forcing Covid-19 Vaccinations on Children. No to Coerced Vaccinations without Accepting Risk. No to Censorship. No to Limits on Reasonable Debate. Yes, We Believe in the Power of Natural Immunity. Yes, We Insist on Informed Consent. Yes to Doctors and Patients Making Decisions without Interference,” the group posted on its site.
The permit states there could be as many as about 20,000 people and preparations for the event are starting as early as Wednesday.
The plan is for rally-goers to gather at the west side of the Washington Monument Grounds and March about a mile to the Lincoln Memorial for the rally. There will be speeches by Children’s Health Defense’s Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Steve Kirsch, Ava Morse and musical performances by Five Time August and Hi-Rez.
United States Park Police plans to temporarily close 17th Street for the event. So, drivers are advised to seek an alternate route on Sunday.
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The Children’s Defense Fund, a non-profit child advocacy organization, is planning this rally alongside the FLCCC Alliance and International Alliance of Physicians and Medical Scientists.