Thousands march in protest of vax mandate
BY BEN BRACHFELD
Thousands of municipal
employees and allies marched
across the Brooklyn Bridge on
Oct. 25 in protest of the city’s
impending vaccination mandate,
scheduled to take effect
before the end of the month.
Marchers gathered at
MetroTech Plaza in Downtown
Brooklyn for a rally,
where they chanted their intentions
to “hold the line” and
not get vaccinated against
the coronavirus even if that
means losing their jobs.
“Today is a day in which
we, the workers of this great
city, stand up to unreasonable
mandates,” a worker named
Gary told the crowd at Metro-
Tech. “We, the workers, are
the foundation on which this
city stands, and without that
foundation, will crumble.”
The mostly unmasked protesters
marched across the
Brooklyn Bridge chanting “F–k
de Blasio,” “f–k Joe Biden,” “we
will not comply,” “my body my
choice,” and “save our children.”
Marchers were greeted
by Republican mayoral candidate
Curtis Sliwa at the Manhattan
side of the bridge, before
making their way to City Hall.
Most municipal employees
have been under a “vaccine-ortest”
COURIER L 6 IFE, OCT. 29-NOV. 4, 2021
mandate since last month,
requiring workers either provide
proof of vaccination or
submit to weekly COVID tests,
but the mayor announced last
week that the entire city workforce
would now be required to
get vaccinated, without a testing
carveout, citing success
in previous vaccine-only mandates
for teachers and health
care workers.
As of Oct. 19, vaccination
rates for employees at the Department
of Education and
Health & Hospitals were 96
percent and 95 percent, respectively.
The numbers are far lower
for employees of the NYPD,
FDNY, EMS, and Sanitation
Department, who made up a
large contingent of the protest.
70 percent of NYPD employees,
62 percent of Sanitation workers,
61 percent of EMTs, 60 percent
of FDNY fi refi ghters had
gotten the jab as of last week,
according to data provided by
the mayor’s offi ce. Other lowvaxxed
agencies include Homeless
Services at 67 percent and
NYCHA at 59 percent.
They have until Friday at
5 pm to present proof of vaccination,
or else they will be
put on unpaid leave. The lowest
vaxxed agency, the Department
of Corrections at 51 percent,
has until next month to
get the jab due to the ongoingsituation
at Rikers Island.
The union representing
most NYPD offi cers, the Police
Benevolent Association, fi led a
lawsuit against the city Monday
aiming to stop the mandate;
suits to stop previous mandates
for teachers, health care workers,
and to go to restaurants
and other public accommodations
have failed thus far.
Asked Monday if the city
has contingency plans in
place if thousands of essential
city workers are put on unpaid
leave, Mayor Bill de Blasio
said he had been in talks with
agency heads over such plans,
which would include “use of
overtime” and “changing deployments,”
but noted that he
expects most workers to prioritize
keeping their job over remaining
unvaxxed, as seen at
the Department of Education
and Health and Hospitals.
“I talked to all the relevant
commissioners in the lead up,
especially the most crucial
operational agencies. and every
one of them said they were
confi dent that it was the right
thing to do,” Hizzoner said at
his Monday press briefi ng.
“And obviously, you know, consistent
majorities of their members
of their departments have
gotten vaccinated, but we’ve
seen the mandates move a lot
more people to get vaccinated.”
The overwhelming majority
of scientists agree that the
coronavirus vaccine is both
safe and effective, and half the
world’s population has now
received at least one dose. A
recent CDC study also found
that about 90-95 percent of people
hospitalized for COVID in
New York were unvaccinated.
Anti-vaccine-mandate protesters cross the Brooklyn Bridge on Oct. 25. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
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NOTICE OF A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING of the Franchise and Concession Review Committee and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
(“NYC Parks”) to be held on Monday, November 8, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. at Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street, Manhattan New York, NY 10007 relative to: INTENT TO AWARD as a concession for the renovation, operation, and maintenance of parking facilities at Maimonides Park (formerly known
as MCU Park), Coney Island, Brooklyn for a one (1) year term with three (3) one-year renewal options, to Parking Services Plus, Inc. Compensation
to the City will be as follows: for each Operating Year (as defined in the concession agreement) Parking Services Plus, Inc. shall pay the City an
Annual Flat Fee. The Annual Flat Fee for each operating year is as follows: Operating Year 1: $256,000.00; Operating Year 2 (if option exercised):
$268,800.00; Operating Year 3 (if option exercised): $282,240.00; Operating Year 4 (if option exercised): $296,352.00.
The public may also participate in the public hearing by calling the dial-in number below. Written testimony may be submitted in advance of the
hearing electronically to fcrc@mocs.nyc.gov. All written testimony must be received by November 5, 2021. In addition, the public may also
testify during the hearing by calling the dial-in number. The dial-in information is below:
Dial-in #: +1 646-893-7101, Access Code: 709 470 166#, Press # on further prompts A draft copy of the agreement may be obtained at no cost by any of the following ways:
1) submitting a written request to NYC Parks at concessions@parks.nyc.gov from 10/25/2021 through 11/08/2021.
2) download from 10/25/2021 through 11/08/2021 on Parks’ website. To download a draft copy of the agreement, visit
https://www.nycgovparks.org/opportunities/concessions/rfps-rfbs-rfeis.
3) by submitting a written request by mail to NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, Revenue Division, 830 Fifth Avenue, Revenue Division,
Room 407, New York, NY 10065. Written requests must be received by 10/25/2021. For mail-in request, please include your name, return
address, and License # B369-PL. A transcript of the hearing will be posted on the FCRC website at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/mocs/reporting/agendas.page
Please be aware that all meeting attendees will be required to practice physical distancing and all attendees over the age of two who are
medically able to tolerate a face covering will be required to wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status. The Hearing venue has an
occupancy limit of 40 people total with additional overflow rooms at the venue allowing for another 12 people to watch the proceedings remotely. Please do not attend this meeting if:
You have experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 10 days (a fever of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, a new cough, new
loss of taste or smell, or shortness of breath).
You have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 10 days.
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past 10 days and are required to quarantine under existing CDC guidance (you have not had COVID-19 within the past 3 months, and you are
not fully vaccinated). For further information on accessibility or to make a request for accommodations, such as sign language interpretation services, please contact the
Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) via e-mail at DisabilityAffairs@mocs.nyc.gov or via phone at (646) 872-0231. Any person requiring
reasonable accommodation for the public hearing should contact MOCS at least five (5) business days in advance of the hearing to ensure availability.
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