SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For the second time since Governor Gavin Newsom mandated vaccines for students, thousands of protestors took to the steps of the Capitol to voice their opposition.
The mandate does not go into effect until the semester after the FDA gives full approval for kids. Right now, it’s under emergency use for them.
At the rally, Ponderosa High School Teacher Michael Wilkes asked the crowd how many have a loved one considering fleeing the state of California and almost everyone raised their hand.
"Raise your hand if you or your children are at the very risk of losing their education?" he asked. And again, hands shot up.
"Raise your hand if you believe in your neighbor's right to decide to vaccinate your child, and you simply ask for the same in return?" he asked. And again, thousands of hands went up.
These parents are determined to be the decision-makers for their children.
"Our children, our choice!" the crowd cheered in unison.
Parents like Kima and Boomer Bennett attended the rally.
“We still have a say so on what applies to our children," Boomer said. "For a woman, it’s hard for me to tell her, who birthed this child, what to do with that child."
Most doctors and the CDC have repeatedly said that the vaccine is a safe and effective way to keep children from getting sick and passing the virus along to others. Yet, some people are still hesitant.
"My oldest children are fully vaccinated," Kima said. "So I mean, and those vaccines have been around for years, so that’s like a whole other conversation. This just, you know, sprung up from the ashes like, 'here I am. Inject me.'”
The frustration does not stop at vaccines.
Lexi Wagner is a former Ponderosa High School student who says she was given the option to learn remotely or switch schools because she refused to wear her mask.
“I was sent to the office where no one was wearing a mask!” Wagner said.
She decided to leave despite her academic success and involvement in sports.
"My education should matter more than a mask!” she said.
The message Monday is that this fight is far from over.
"The days of writing our governor nice letters asking us to do our jobs as parents is over!” a speaker shouted. "If our legislatures don’t listen to the voice of their people, it is time to remove them!”
California voters had their chance to remove Newsom just two months ago but overwhelmingly decided to keep him in office. Organizers today though pointed to what happened in the Virginia governor’s race, saying when parents are upset, they take back control.
Event organizers said nothing has changed since their last rally in October. In fact, Newsom extended the emergency order for another three months.
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