Anti-Mandate Rally Protesters Displayed “Un-Vaccinated” Star of David Pins During Controversial Protest on Sunday

The divide between pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine community members in Humboldt County rose to a new level this last Sunday, when people opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates converged under the banner of “Medical Freedom” outside St. Joseph Hospital claiming to support caregivers who also oppose vaccinate mandates.  This protest came as the hospital’s ICU was full and struggling to accept a wave of unvaccinated COVID-19 positive community members over the weekend.  While voicing concerns about bodily autonomy and freedom of personal choice, a controversial, yellow Star of David button with the word “Unvaccinated” written on it was distributed to many of those in attendance.

Distributed by one attendee, many rally-goers chose to wear the controversial pin.

This provocative addition to the rally was offset by attendees who espoused principles of holistic health and natural immunity in favor of vaccination against the virus.  The use of the Star of David for protests against COVID-19 policies has become an issue, according to the Anti-Deffamation League, which stated that “[T]he utilization of this type of Holocaust imagery… is not only an act of moral outrage, but also represents an attempt to downplay the enormity of the Holocaust.” 

The Jewish Star of David, with its bright gold six five-pointed silhouette was a symbol used in Germany by Nazis to physically mark and identify people of Jewish heritage, eventually leading to the genocide of 6 million people.  The symbol is widely seen as a reminder of the racism, suffering, death and sacrifice endured in the Holocaust by Jewish families. Now, the symbol has surfaced in the anti-mandate movement as a “marker” of self-identified “undesirables” at the rally on Sunday, August 22 in Eureka.   

The Associated Press addressed the developing trend in anti-vaccine antisemitism, writing, “Historian and former Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld also took aim at the analogy, stressing Monday that “[T]he yellow star was a symbol of death that excluded Jews from society and marked them for extermination, while vaccines, on the other hand, save lives.” To equate the two, he told The Associated Press, is an “odious” comparison that serves to trivialize the yellow star.” 

On Sunday, the rallying cry “stop the mandate” echoed from all corners of the driveway around the entrance to St. Joseph Hospital’s Emergency Department, as a number of anti-mandate community members came out with handcrafted signage to demonstrate. Similar rallies have taken place all over California and possibly beyond, using a platform of Instagram to spread the word among potential attendees.

The Instagram account which invited the public to the rally exclaimed , “American Healthcare Workers for Medical Freedom Movement of the people, by the people, for the people.  We support your right to choose.”  It is unclear if the Star of David has been distributed at similar rallies organized by the decentralized group.  

The man in the suit coat did not wish to be identified by name as he distributed the buttons in question.  The button he wears on the lapel of his coat reads “STOP MAKING 1984 HAPPEN”.  [Photo By Ryan Hutson]

The staff member who spoke to us, a medical professional, told us that some of the hospital workers are fed up with what one called “willful blind ignorance.” They told us,  “I personally wish people making the choice to be unvaccinated could also make the choice to be a ‘do not resuscitate’ or ‘do not intubate’ when they call 911. Do not waste resources.”  

Without masking the frustration of the moment, the staff member added, “Why take experimental drugs that have not been FDA approved to try and save your dumb ass life, when you can’t [accept] a vaccine that’s been proven time and time again, with all new information, that it reduces hospitalizations, it reduces the intensity of your illness, and it helps reduce transmission and spread of this virus.”  

The Instagram account added another 1000 followers since Sunday afternoon.

We took interviews as attendees lined the street on both sides during a Facebook livestream, coming across an array of viewpoints and anti-vaccine stances all opposing the statewide mandate by the Governor to require all healthcare staff to be vaccinated or submit to regular screening before going to work.  Some wore costumes, some brought their children, some spoke about freedom of choice, while others referenced fascism and Nazi Germany.  There was an amplified microphone for anybody who wanted to address the crowd. 

One man who took the mic as he held a young child explained that his wife was a nurse, and that as a family they had been opposed to the vaccine, and were facing a dilemma now that healthcare workers are required to be vaccinated.  

Several people discussed having the right to decide their own medical treatments, rather than those choices being dictated by an employer.  Several protesters indicated that they did not trust the FDA or the CDC, but were paying attention “to the science”.  Several people expressed confidence in Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin as therapies, if they were to become infected with SARS-CoV2. 

Meanwhile, the emergency room was overflowing with COVID-19 positive cases, each needing attention they were uncertain to access due to the sheer volume of the incoming patients that day.  One employee from inside the hospital told us they walked through the demonstrators to see if any of their co-workers were there, and told us they didn’t find any.  This person added, “It’s just extremely concerning to see this many people out here protesting at a hospital that has an incapacitated ICU full of Covid patients.”  

The vaccination progress shown on the Humboldt County Dashboard is broken down by age in the above chart, showing that less than half of 20 year olds are fully vaccinated in the county, while nearly 80% of 75 and older are.

As our reporter stood outside filming the rally, messages (off the record) from hospital staff inside began to pop up as they watched the rally take place from their patient assignments.  Nurses dealing with dying, unvaccinated, and misinformed COVID-19 patients, messaging a reporter with grave concerns and emotional pleas in real time, reflected a high level of frustration from staff.  We are told from a source in the ICU that people suffering from COVID infections are “begging for the vaccine at the hospital” when they arrive – but it is too late to be administered once a person is symptomatic. 

A healthcare worker who observed the protest in person expressed outright anger. They explained, “This is just a giant disrespect to healthcare workers, because they don’t have perspective and they’re using their privilege, living in their own bubble and broadcasting it to the masses, when  in reality, if they were to step foot into the ICU and see how many people are face down ass up, prone fighting for their life on a ventilator- they might have a little more perspective.  They might think about getting a vaccination. It’s not going to alter your DNA, it’s not going to impair your fertility. Do you know what’s going to impair your fertility?  COVID.”

 This employee pointed out that there were no familiar faces there in the crowd, and that the disparity of understanding between those holding anti-vaccine signs on the street and those inside the ER holding breathing devices for dying COVID patients is really hard to summarize without expressing anger. They told us, “…and so if someone were to have a heart attack or some other major illness or trauma, the people who need those beds won’t be able to get those beds because of anti-vaxxers and unvaccinated people. So it’s extremely concerning to see these people out here. It’s just sort of a slap in the face and disrespect to healthcare workers.” 

The staff member also wanted to remind the public at this time, due to the severity of the surge of unvaccinated severely sick COVID-19 patients, that “people drive carefully and remember to take their medications. No one can afford an accident right now.” 

Screengrab from the IGF account shows the Humboldt County Flier with 314 likes.  The fliers look identical other than the time, date and location, and focus city.

Stop the Mandates Rallies have so far taken place in Bakersfield, Riverside, Irvine, Riverside again, Murrieta, Redding, Torrance, Ontario, Redlands, Fontana, Loma Linda, Orange, Chico, Irvine, San Diego since the first week of August.  Rallies that are scheduled yet to take place occur in are scheduled for Moreno Valley, Irvine, Temecula and presumably more to be scheduled. 

The Instagram account invites viewers to click a post for “How to lead a rally” for those who are interested in organizing. The owner of the Instagram account appears to be anonymous, only posting pictures of individual city flyers promoting the rallies, and photos uploaded from those various cities using the hashtag associated with the campaign.  

FDA warned the public via Twitter not to use Ivermectin to treat COVID-19. 

Meanwhile, the FDA has approved the Pfizer vaccine.  The Food and Drug Administration released a statement saying in part, “While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product.”

A Gallery of Dissent With Statements from the rally attendees:

“We should always have a choice.” 

“I’m here for the people who are told to jab or lose their jobs.”

“Humboldt Workers hold the line- DO NOT GIVE IN! Do not take it!”  

“Clean air is good for you!  Take off your mask!  Take off your mask!” 

“We the people won’t comply, if you do, you may DIE!” 

‘It’s tragic that they’re [in the ICU], bottom line… but there’s a bigger picture than just taking the vaccine, I mean there’s the long term effects of the vaccine that may harm people more than COVID can.”  

“You don’t want shot after shot after shot.” 

“I just trust my immune system, and I already had it last year so I already have antibodies.” 

“I don’t know, I heard a lot of mixed things about the data, I don’t think the vaccine works because I know of lots of people that got the shot and then still got COVID. I just don’t trust it.” 

“Another thing that amazes me is the corruption in local media, like down to the local level where there’s no media here…  Where’s our local media?  Why aren’t they here to document this?  You’d think that being such a small community that our local media would not be affected by the corporate chain of whatever it is, but they all get their marching orders from the top.” 

“The COVID isn’t even real, why are you lying?  Why won’t the news say the real truth?  The mainstream media is lying.”