Rally Against Masks and Vaccines Comes to Santa Barbara

A rally “for freedom” against public health mandates meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 was held Saturday, with a march from Stearns Wharf to De la Guerra Plaza.

The event was organized by local group Stand Up Santa Barbara and was part of a Worldwide Rally for Freedom in more than 200 cities across the world. The group of around 100 protesters was escorted up State Street by city police and could be heard chanting “My body, my choice!” and “Fire Dr. Fauci!” during the march to the plaza, where a band was playing and several booths were set up distributing information.

This comes as the city and country are in the grips of another wave of COVID cases due to the several active variants. The CDC and the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department recommend masks be worn by everyone indoors and in crowded public settings with close contact with others who may not be vaccinated.

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