A group of anti-vaxxers stormed Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Sunday and wreaked havoc during a rally to support Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving, who is not complying with the vaccine mandate.
Hundreds of protesters have gathered outside the team’s home arena on Sunday to support the professional basketball player. This mod of anti-vaxxers was chanting “no vaccine mandate” and “stand with Kyrie” before a break-away group attempted to break through the barricades. The wild video was posted on Twitter Sunday.
Security officers were quickly overwhelmed when they tried in vain to hold back the crowd. The footage shows a handful of anti-vaxxers breaking through and making for the front doors.
The protesters were also chanting “Nazi passports” and “Let Kyrie play,” and waved signs and “Don’t Tread on Me” flags as they stormed outside the arena. In addition, some of the protesters were seen wearing “Black Lives Matter” t-shirts.
The protest comes after the Brooklyn Nets played the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday — without Irving suited up.
It is unclear if the group of anti-vaxxers made it inside the building. However, Barclays officials were reportedly forced to close the front doors except to guests with tickets in their hands.
“Barclays Center briefly closed its doors today in order to clear protestors from the main doors on the plaza and ensure guests could safely enter the arena,” venue officials said in a statement.
Irving, the 29-year-old Brooklyn Nets’ player, has been barred from practicing with the team or playing home games for refusing to comply with the team’s rule that all players be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The vaccine mandate does not come from the NBA but from New York City, and players in local sports venues are required to be vaccinated in other to play.
A wild video posted on Twitter shows hundreds of protesters storming the Brooklyn arena earlier in the day.
