Thread by @SamBraslow

Today, anti-mask protesters went to the Beverly Connection Target and returned to the Westfield Century City mall. LAPD showed up to the mall in force, escorting some out of the mall. I witnessed no arrests or violence.

Immediately after entering, store security told them they needed masks or would need to leave.

A shopper apparently sprayed a cleaning agent at some of the anti-maskers.

A shopper engaged in lengthy conversation with the anti-maskers. Much of the talk centered on China and its response to the virus.

An anti-masker claimed that masks don’t work if you can smell a fart or cigarette smoke. She said that the purpose of masks is to spread fear, division, “grooming” for a vaccine, and “grooming” for Sharia Law.

One anti-masker argued that wearing a mask is a matter of “my body, my choice.”

“If you’re older or you’re predisposed, you can wear a hazmat suit,” she said.

Two LAPD officers arrive and the shopper says they need to leave. Anti-maskers call the shopper a dictator. LAPD officers left a few minutes later, though they came back with reinforcements about 30 min after.

The anti-maskers gathered at the entrance for a while. As with the protest at Bloomingdales a week ago, they broke out into song and dance.

As the group leaves, LAPD shows up in larger numbers. The anti-maskers decide to return to the Westfield Century City mall.

At Westfield, a group of LAPD led by Cpt Ryan Whiteman intercept the anti-maskers outside the mall. They spoke for about 20min, explaining their rights on private property and clarifying that the mask mandate is indeed a law.

One protester cites Lin Wood, who apparently claimed after last week’s protests that private establishments could not refuse service on the basis of masks.

A few anti-maskers claims medical exemptions to mask mandates. Whiteman says that they can contest citations by referring the proper documentation to the city attorney’s office.

Shiva Bagheri, organizer/founder of the BH Freedom Rally, grows irate at the LAPD’s ultimatum, comparing the situation to Nazi Germany.

A few of the anti-maskers put on masks and go into the mall, followed by mall security and LAPD. Multiple shops close their doors as they walk by. One of the protesters pulls down his mask and gets confronted by security.

A protester without a mask makes it into the mall, where he is told by LAPD he will have to either put on a mask or leave.

A large group of onlookers applaud as the anti-maskers are escorted out of the mall.

Captain Whiteman poses for selfies with two of the protesters. Despite the disagreements with police throughout the day, the group maintained an outward “back the blue” posture.

Update: the man with the spray bottle reached out to say that he did not actually spray anyone, but just held the bottle up.

Also, Whiteman posed for photos, not selfies, with the protesters.

Also, a note on the "masks don't work if you can smell a fart" business. The argument is that COVID-19 is small enough to slip past all but the most dense coverings. I spoke with Co-Chief Infection Prevention Officer at UCLA Dr. Annabelle de St. Maurice back in Oct. about this.

She said that COVID "travels as a droplet most frequently, so coughing or sneezing generate droplets that tend to be quite large and those droplets can be blocked by a mask."

She added, "There's evidence showing...prevention of transmission of aerosols even with a cloth mask."