The Wrap reports:
Anti-mask protesters aggressively approached shoppers at a Ralph’s grocery store in Los Angeles’ Century City neighborhood and then moved to the nearby Westfield mall, leading to minor altercations and the police at times intervening.
At the Ralph’s grocery store, one female protester falsely claimed a man hit her and began pursuing the man with a shopping cart as other protesters shouted.
The woman then was seen kicking the man. Another protestor called a shopper a “mask Nazi” and said he didn’t have to wear a mask because he had tested negative for the virus. When one shopper says that her father was in the hospital with COVID-19, the man shouted back that, “People die. Your father’s not special.”
The Los Angeles Times reports:
The group chanted, “No more masks,” and tried to enter stores but were stopped by employees. On several occasions, the group got into verbal altercations with workers.
Video showed at least six police vehicles near the Erewhon on Beverly Boulevard. A crowd of protesters chanted in front of the store, some shouting, “Open up L.A.!” One person yelled, “They want you to wear a mask, they want you to lock down!”
The protest also comes as Los Angeles County averages more than 14,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day, according to The Times’ tracker, and hospitalizations continue to climb.
Today, a group of anti-maskers protested at Ralph’s and the Century City shopping mall. Lots of angry confrontations with customers and a few physical altercations.
Thread pic.twitter.com/cS0YAR2CiH
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
A violent altercation broke out between a protester and a customer. Didn’t see see the inciting incident. She claims that the customer hit her; in response, she tries to ram him with a shopping cart and shout at him. pic.twitter.com/nR3whF8ImC
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
As the shopper was checking out, the anti-masker kicked him.
“Some guy take care of him out there, come on patriots.” pic.twitter.com/qv120kK4Jc
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
A lot of shouting matches like this, where a shopper tells two protesters to leave and they say that this isn’t Communist China. pic.twitter.com/3a22QBJXKf
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
One protester suggests he doesn’t need to wear a mask bc he tested negative. He calls a shopper a “mask Nazi.” pic.twitter.com/UFMBb78tcu
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
The anti maskers went next Bloomingdales at Century City Mall. LAPD showed up eventually but did not try to remove them. @Bloomingdales staff seemed unable to force them to leave. pic.twitter.com/z6EmQ56Uk5
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
The group of about 20 circulated around the 3 floors, chanting “no more masks,” and “fuck communist China.” pic.twitter.com/zhq7ka3jiL
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
@Bloomingdales staff escort a shopper out after he gets into an argument with multiple protesters pic.twitter.com/vuy4K8LL0A
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
The anti maskers have a little dance party on the floor of @Bloomingdales, dancing to the MAGA version of YMCA. pic.twitter.com/3qEBPYrHvv
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
Things get heated between a Steve Madden employee and a protester who tries to push through their door, claiming the employee pushed him first. pic.twitter.com/14jtklRnlc
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
An anti-masker enters an 85 Degrees cafe/bakery and says to tell the company that masks are illegal. The customers and employees appeared nonplussed. pic.twitter.com/ejLn9rTtcy
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
The anti-maskers mistake a woman taking a sip of her coffee as a supporter. She quickly puts her mask back on. pic.twitter.com/vcqea3Ra9T
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
A worker in the foot court asks why the anti-maskers are protesting on private property. The anti-masker tells him that he has a right to be there because he is an American. pic.twitter.com/M3AWR1XtGK
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
Some the anti-maskers were not served by foot court employees. One of them confronts malls security and says that they can be arrested for not serving them. “We don’t live in China, we don’t live Iran.” pic.twitter.com/vyMoTtKpFA
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
Police intervene in an incident where a shopper allegedly pushed an anti-maskers camera. pic.twitter.com/my3bHhjew8
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
An anti-masker pantomimes dying of COVID to an Ugg’s employee who was saying something to the group. pic.twitter.com/wg1EZTyrug
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
A woman who said she’s a doctor yells at the anti-maskers that her mother is in the hospital with COVID. A protester responds, “People die. Your father’s not special.” pic.twitter.com/9aWkuR0Lyw
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
A mall official asks some anti-maskers to leave. A protester asks, “In the 40s, would you ask a group of Black people to leave if they were harassed? Trump supporters are oppressed in America today.” pic.twitter.com/BDtcXJsK61
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 4, 2021
They went to several other stores but many stores closed their doors to prevent them from entering. They lined up at this store’s doors and one of the anti-maskers called the employee standing inside a “big dumb white c*nt.” pic.twitter.com/AhAzsM1uhw
— Emily Holshouser (@emilyytayylor) January 4, 2021