Vaccine mandate prompts New York City protest

NEW YORK (NewsNation Now) — A large protest of vaccine mandates snarled traffic in Manhattan on Monday.

Hundreds of people took to the streets to protest the vaccine mandate for teachers in the nation’s largest school district, which took effect Monday after a back-and-forth battle in the courts.

About 18,000 vaccine doses have been given to public school staff since Friday, bringing the number of vaccinated teachers and staff to about 97 percent. Those who received a shot over the weekend were allowed to return to school Monday.

“I am elated with what we were able to accomplish today with the help of our entire DOE family stepping up,” said Meisha Porter, NYC Schools chancellor.

But the protesters described the mandate as “medical tyranny.” The protest began with about 250 people gathered outside the Department of Education’s headquarters in Brooklyn. They marched into Manhattan, chanting slogans denouncing the federal and city administrations, then dispersed after arriving at New York City Hall.

About 3,700 of the 75,000 New York Public School teachers remain unvaccinated and will not be allowed to work. The district says it has sufficient substitute personnel to cover those who refuse the shot. Those who continue to refuse the shot have the options of taking unpaid leave or leaving with severance.