Republicans defy COVID vaccine policy at the N.J. Statehouse as troopers tried to stop them

[Mary Wilson]

Republicans defy COVID vaccine policy at the N.J. Statehouse, ignoring troopers who tried to stop them

Updated: Dec. 02, 2021, 4:07 p.m. | Published: Dec. 02, 2021, 2:19 p.m.
By Brent Johnson

A number of Republican members of the state Assembly openly defied a new COVID-19 vaccine policy at the New Jersey Statehouse on Thursday and took their seats to cast votes anyway — a surreal scene that at one point included a 15-minute standoff between indignant conservative lawmakers and State Police troopers who tried to stop them from entering the chamber.

The policy, installed Wednesday to combat the coronavirus pandemic, calls for all people to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test to enter the Statehouse. But a half-dozen Republicans, members of the minority party in the Democratic-controlled state Legislature, would not present either document when asked by troopers who were standing at the entrance to the Assembly.

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2021...ignoring-troopers-who-tried-to-stop-them.html

 

[Emily]

I moved this out of the US violence thread because the story is about non-violent civil disobedience.

“This is about denying the minority their right to speak out against policies Phil Murphy and his minions in this house think that they want to shove down your throats, whether you like it or not,” Peterson added.

After 15 minutes, another Republican, Assemblyman Brian Bergen, R-Morris, announced the troopers told him they would not “physically restrain us.”

“We can just walk past them,” Bergen said.

Many other Republicans proceeded to enter the chamber.

 

[sharon sanders]

bump this