A Yakima rally is planned Saturday at Franklin Park to support healthcare staff, school employees and first responders who are against a statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

THE SATURDAY RALLY STARTS AT 10:00AM AT FRANKLIN PARK

The rally starts at 10:00AM. One of the organizers is a nurse at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. She says "there are many here in Yakima who are making a decision of conscience to not get the vaccine.  Although every vaccine lacks FDA approval we will soon lose our jobs if we are not fully vaccinated by October 18th.  We are among the best and brightest here in Yakima who worked long hard years to qualify for the very important jobs that we have.  Despite this fact we face the very real prospect of losing the jobs we love, the very jobs that allow us to continue to serve our community as we have for so long."

OTHER RALLIES HAVE BEEN HELD TO SEND THE SAME MESSAGE

On a flyer about the rally the organizers ask "can you imagine Yakima without us."
The Saturday rally follows other rallies held this week and last week. This week parents and others who are against masking held a rally at 40th and Tieton and another rally was held last Saturday. The rally was held at Chesterly Park in Yakima where hundreds of people who stand against the mandates gathered during what was called a "Yakima Freedom Rally." The rally was planned after more COVID-19 news and talk of indoor mask mandates came back in two counties in the state. Since then the governor has called for a statewide indoor mask mandate that starts on Monday for everyone those vaccinated and those unvaccinated.

MEDICAL WORKERS RALLIED LAST SATURDAY AS WELL

Those gathered at the protest last Saturday in Yakima carried American Flags and signs many saying they were against masking and vaccination mandates. Some of those at the rally were local medical workers who are against being ordered to get the vaccine. Hospitals in the state say they expect some medical workers to step down rather than be vaccinated.
Yakima County Commission candidate Autumn Torres joined the rally last Saturday holding signs and an American flag showing her support for freedom and her stance against ordered vaccinations and masking.
Other rallies and protests are expected in Yakima County and around the state as more mandates are ordered by local and state government in Washington.