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Students and teachers protest K-12 vaccine mandate

By: Samantha Cortes and Grace Hughes

Hundreds of outraged parents, students and teachers from local school districts — some holding signs saying “Our kids are not lab rats!” and “Let us choose!” — rallied against vaccine mandates for K-12 students in Huntington Beach on Monday. 

Instead of attending school, students and teachers lined up on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Main St, while making noise and encouraging cars to honk their horns in support. 

Melissa Huffaker, a teacher at Aliso Viejo Middle School, believes the vaccine should not be mandated because the long-term effects of it are unknown.  

“What if in 10 or 15 years, all of the sudden, these children can’t have children? They’re going to look back and say ‘Oh, maybe it was that vaccine that we didn’t really know anything about. But it also could be different, it could be in 15 years, it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. We don’t know,” said Huffaker. 

In her school district, Capistrano Unified, Huffaker claims that the mask mandate resulted in the loss of a large number of students last year. Because of this, she fears what will happen to schools as the state continues to take further action. 

“Public education might die in California because of this mandate,” said Huffaker. “And if (the district) says mandatory vaccines, I might be looking for a different job.” 

Melissa Huffaker, a teacher at Aliso Viejo Middle School, poses with a “Teachers 4 Choice” sign at a protest against K-12 vaccine mandates in Huntington Beach on Oct. 21, 2021. “If (the district) says mandatory vaccines, I might be looking for a different job,” said Huffaker. (Photo by Samantha Cortes)

Huntington Beach High-School senior, Micayla Currier, skipped school and met up with her friends at the protest to sell t-shirts that said “Gavin don’t surf” and “Scumbag” with a photo of Newsom’s face. 

“(Newsom) sucks. He’s basically saying that we can’t have an education unless we get a shot and we don’t surf with that,” said Currier. 

Currier is aware that in Huntington Beach the vaccine mandate is being considered, but she stands firm that this won’t stop her from having her senior year on-campus, despite not being vaccinated.

“If they mandate (the vaccine) I’m just going to keep going to school and they can’t kick me out,” said Currier. 

Protester Jason Steele showed his opposition to all government-mandated vaccines with a t-shirt that read “There’s no such thing as a ‘safe vaccine”. He held a sign that claimed vaccines cause seizures, encephalitis and autoimmunity. 

During a speech to the crowd, Steele said, “I was on campus, at a school, and I heard a teacher tell a group of second, or third graders at the most, that they would kill someone if they took off their mask. This is what is being told to children. These are outright lies and it is unacceptable.”

Steele believes that vaccines are not necessary to remain healthy. Instead, he advocates for natural living. 

“All we need to build our immunity is water, fresh fruit, play in the sun and hug everyone,” said Steele. 

Wendy Gonzalez, a parent of a Huntington Beach student, brought her son to the protest with a sign that read “I don’t co-parent with the government.” Gonzalez is unhappy with the idea of a mandatory vaccine, but if implemented, she wants her son to continue with public school education.  

“I’m hoping that there will be alternative studies and that teachers can continue to be online,” said Gonzalez. “Completely pulling my kids out (of public school) isn’t something that’s very wise.”

Newport Beach lawyer, Nicole Pearson, earned loud cheers and honks of approval from passing cars during her speech to the crowd of demonstrators. She claimed the vaccine mandates for K-12 students violate California Health and Safety Codes. 

“We filed against LAUSD, the temporary restraining order is coming, the lawsuits are coming,” said Pearson. “They cannot condition your child’s constitutionally guaranteed right to an education… every single step up the way (the school districts) are in the wrong.”

A woman who called herself ‘Lady Liberty’ paraded around the protest in Huntington Beach on Oct. 21, 2021 with an American flag. She considered the vaccine mandates tyrannical. “It’s more than a vaccine, it’s social ritual and if the government can get the masses to lay down their rights, they can do whatever they want,” she said. (Photo by Samantha Cortes)

A woman who only referred to herself as “Lady Liberty”, protested in a Statue of Liberty costume while waving an American flag. She considers the vaccine mandate to be tyrannical.

She said, “There’s an evil in the government that’s been happening for a long time and this mandate is just the tip of the iceberg, but underneath is a lot more yuck that needs to be cleaned out.”

Once the FDA approves vaccines for a grade span (K-6 and 7-12), proof of full vaccination will be required for students at the start of the following academic term. The state predicts students in grades 7-12 will be required to be fully vaccinated by July 1, according to Cal Matters. 

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