OAKDALE, Calif. — Students in Oakdale staged protests Wednesday in opposition to California's mask mandate.
The Oakdale Police Department posted to Facebook saying that the protests were small and peaceful.
"Today there are a few schools throughout town where protests have taken place related to the COVID-19 mask mandate. These gatherings have been small in nature and have been peaceful," the Oakdale Police Department wrote.
Oakdale school officials haven't responded to ABC10's questions about the protests.
A video circulating on social media Wednesday afternoon showed Oakdale high school students in a gym not wearing masks.
According to an Instagram post by the user let_them_breathe, students through the district are refusing to wear masks.
"High schoolers have been sent to the gym and filled it with more unmasked students on their way," letthem_breathe wrote in a tweet.
In the video, students can be seen sitting in folding chairs, spread through the gym.
Current California orders require students to wear masks in schools due to the coronavirus pandemic.
An August 2021 memo from the Department of Public Health states, "Universal masking reduces the risk of outbreaks, thereby avoiding disruptions to school operations, including closure. Furthermore, masks empower schools to implement more targeted quarantine procedures, often eliminating the need for students to miss any instructional time."
Some of the students said on social media that the photo of Gov. Newsom not wearing a mask during parts of the 49ers - Rams playoff game sparked their protest.
MORE OAKDALE NEWS:
- An Oakdale wife and sister killed in an alleged DUI crash. The suspect? A retired police sergeant.
- Off-duty Oakdale officer accidentally shoots, injures himself at hospital
- Oakdale school district not requiring COVID-19 vaccine for students, staff
- 3 Oakdale City Council members openly defy Stanislaus County mask mandate
