De Blasio's 'vaccine passport' to be protested by New York conservatives

In response to New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio's recent announcement that New Yorkers would be required to show proof of vaccination, or "vaccine passports," to enter many indoor establishments, a protest is being planned outside the Mayor's Gracie Mansion residence by the New York Young Republicans.

The New York Young Republicans intend to stage a protest outside Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence in New York City in response to De Blasio's new vaccination requirements in the city, on August 15.

Per de Blasio's announcement, New Yorkers will now have to show proof of vaccination to enter indoor dining, gyms, and entertainment venues in the city, marking a "first in the nation" program.

The protest will take place on August 15, one day before the final details of the controversial policy will be announced and implemented across the city.

On September 13, the mandate will be fully enforced. It is unclear how that mandate will be enforced, since the New York City Police Department has declined to enforce social distancing mandates, or mask mandates, over the course of the pandemic.

There are primarily two groups of people who remain unvaccinated in New York. The New York Times states that "white, rural, evangelical Christian and politically conservative" folks are "adamant in their refusal of the coronavirus vaccines." These are unlikely to be the target of de Blasio's vaccination push, as New York City is not at all rural.

However, the group that de Blasio is targeting is likely to be those that the Times identifies as "those who say they are open to getting a shot but have been putting it off or want to wait and see before making a decision; they are a broad range of people, but tend to be a more diverse and urban group, including many younger people, Black and Latino Americans, and Democrats."

When asked about why it's so important to fight against the vaccine mandate and the requirement to show papers to move freely about the city, New York Young Republicans President Gavin Wax said that "New York City is still America."

"We have rights, freedoms, and liberties," Wax told The Post Millennial. "We should not segregate society into two separate categories of citizens. One with more rights than others. Getting vaccinated is a personal choice. We should respect bodily autonomy. This mandate essentially prevents the non-vaccinated from doing much of anything indoors. It is a gross governmental oversteps that will only create more slippery slope."