On Monday, the New York Police Department (NYPD) made several arrests in a Brooklyn Burger King after the fast food restaurant was stormed by protesters against vaccine mandates, according to multiple reports and posts on social media.
The New York Post writes, citing police officials, that five people were arrested following the protest after the group of anti-vaxxers, with no masks, repeatedly refused to leave and yelled at staffers for declining service.
Footage of the noisy crowd of protesters flocking the restaurant emerged on social media, prompting strong reactions.
Many social media users ended up frustrated with the actions of the police, pointing to how law enforcement targets anti-vaccination protesters when New York City is facing a wave of increased crime. Per the NYPD's estimations, overall index crime in the city increased by 21.3% in November 2021.
New York City saw massive protests against the vaccine mandates on Monday, with social media users estimating that "hundreds" of demonstrators were taking to the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan and chanting anti-mandate slogans.
A vaccine mandate for all businesses in New York City was introduced by Mayor Bill de Blasio in early December as a "preemptive strike" against the new coronavirus variant known as Omicron.