I’m at a Portland Public School Board meeting where members of People’s Rights, a far-right group started by Ammon Bundy, is attending to argue against a vaccine mandate for students 12 years and older.
We’re nearly at capacity at 150 people.
Some people have been turned away from entering for refusing to wear a mask.
Inside security has already been asking people to keep their masks on inside the building.
Some people are arguing with security about wearing wearing a mask indoors.
The school board meeting looks full
Except for security, school board staff are being asked to leave from the lobby outside the boardroom.
One staff member told a group of staff “health and safety measures aren’t being followed in this area” and asked them to move upstairs.
The school board says it will suspend the meeting and conduct it in 30min virtually if there is not 100% compliance.
The school board suspended the meeting due to some people refusing to wear a masks.
They say they will conduct the meeting virtually.
One man wearing a hat that reads “shoot your local pedophile” erupted in protest, yelling at the school board members.
One man wearing a hat that reads “shoot your local pedophile” stood up and yelled at the Portland Public School Board after they suspended the meeting due to some people not wearing masks.
Some people de-escalated the situation. But the meeting is suspended and will be conducted virtually.
The Anti-vaccine demonstration was promoted in advance by People’s Rights, a far-right group founded by Ammon Bundy
Far-right groups have found fertile ground in COVID conspiracies and anti-vaccine sentiments.
Post Jan 6, there’s been a shift from focusing on national arenas to hyper local ones, like school boards.
The anti-vaccine demonstrators haven’t left. The meeting has been suspended for 45minutes.
The anti-vaccine demonstrators are standing in the boardroom, 45minutes after it was suspended.
The virtual meeting is taking place in the background.
At this point, the majority of the people in the building aren’t wearing a mask.
Anti-vaccine demonstrators have rearranged chairs in the lobby and are going to hold their own meeting.
“The fight is not in Molalla, it’s here in Portland.”
Anti-vaccine demonstrators hold their own meeting after PPS suspended the school board meeting and left the building.
Anti-vaccine demonstrators have taken over a Portland Public School board meeting.
Officials have left the building to conduct the meeting virtually after some protestors refused to wear masks.
Far-right demonstrators are now conducting their own meeting in the building.
A black security guard told the maskless woman to put on her mask,
The woman called him “boy.”
The woman then looked around and said “yeah, I said it.”
Over an hour after the meeting was suspended and officials left the busking, anti-vaccine demonstrators are still inside PPS holding their own meeting.
Anti-vaccine demonstrators are inside the Portland Public School boardroom, maskless, listening to the virtual meeting.
An anti-vaccine demonstrator calls into the virtual meeting while staying inside the Portland Public School building.
There’s a couple dozen demonstrators left in the building.
Bonny says she’s a parent and a naturopathic, and she’s personally against mask or vaccine mandates.
For reliable information about vaccines visit the CDC website FAQ: cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
The CDC also has a breakdown of myth vs fact here: cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
I am out of the school board.
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