A group of 10 NYC anti-mandate activists purchased tickets to watch a movie at AMC Empire 25 in Times Square.
The activists peacefully walked into the cinema to take their seats for the film and AMC staff asked the group to show proof of COVID-19 inoculation.
After refusing to provide vaccine passports, AMC staff turned off the projector to prevent the movie from playing in the nearly empty cinema.
The activists calmly remained inside the theater, and AMC called the police to remove them for “trespassing.”
#BreakingNews
Activist against #mandates attempt to watch movie at a movies theater in #NYC that's for the V only. The manager told them because they are not vaccinated. The #NYPD was called to remove them. The NYPD arrived.
Stand by for more info#updates #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/Mbmp5Hypjn— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) February 7, 2022
In reality, we all know the only reason AMC wants the activists out of the theater is because of NYC’s Medical Jim Crow policy of segregating vaccinated and unvaccinated citizens.
And mainstream media desperately attempts to paint a false narrative to cast anti-mandate activists as unruly characters.
As this New York Post hit piece writes:
At least 10 people were taken into police custody after a group of anti-vaccine protestors stormed the AMC Empire 25 movie theater in Midtown on Monday night, police said.
Police said the group invaded the West 42nd street theater around 6:30 p.m.
As mentioned, the activists purchased tickets in advance of the movie screening and were denied service for failure to provide vaccine passports.
Things took a surprising turn when NYPD officers arrived to ask the anti-mandate activists to exit the theater.
After the anti-mandate activists refused to leave due to denied service without refund, the police made multiple arrests of individuals inside the cinema.
In addition to arresting anti-mandate activists, NYPD arrested multiple independent media outlets for being the ‘wrong kind of press.’
On-the-ground reports indicate independent journalist Leeroy Press and independent videographer East Ghost Reports were falsely arrested.
An NYPD inspector allegedly stated Leeroy Press wasn’t the right kind of press and arrested him, a flagrant 1st Amendment violation.
Leeroy press was falsely arrested and set up by NYPD inspector O'Hare. Two officers gave Leroy permission to film a movie theater then inspectoral hair came in and arrested him and told him he wasn't the right kind of press so he's getting arrested.
— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) February 8, 2022
Leeroy Press and East Ghost Reports @ @njegmedia both arrested @ @AMCTheatres @ AMC Theatreshttps://t.co/YV3Idm6V0F
— npsgirl (@npsgirl) February 8, 2022
Leeroy Press stated via Instagram:
Before my arrest I spoke with 2 NYPD Officers and they said I was OK to film the sit in at the AMC movie theater. Then the inspector came in and asked me who I was and I told him and also told him 2 Officers said I was OK to film and I’m press.
The inspector said I wasn’t the right kind of press and told his officers to arrest me, even his officers told him they know me. He also didn’t give me a chance to leave.
He targeted me [and] another reporter before the NYPD arrested the Activists. Seems like the inspector didn’t want me getting the message out. This cop needs to be fired. He cost the city of NYC almost a million dollars in lawsuit and guess what he will probably have 1 more lawsuit after today.
LUKE2FREEDOM, another independent video journalist on the scene, filmed Leeroy Press, East Ghost Reports, and anti-mandate activists under arrest:
#BREAKING : Multiple Anti-Mandate activists arrested by NYPD's Strategic Response Group, including a credentialed independent journalist LeeroyPress. The arrests happened at a Sit-In demonstration inside the AMC movie theater near Times Square in NYC.#Mandates #VaccineMandate pic.twitter.com/EQ0hpATJAW
— LUKE2FREEDOM (@L2FTV) February 8, 2022
During the arrest, anti-mandate activists chanted “My body, my choice. The vaccine you won’t force. My body, my choice.”
Timcast noted:
The journalist, known as Leeroy Press, was also recently suspended from Twitter. He has been live streaming and filming many of the anti-mandate actions in the city. Another video journalist and friend of his, “Luke2Freedom,” posted that Leeroy had been charged with trespassing after law enforcement did not accept his credentials.
“I just got off the phone with LeeroyPress who said that he, and everyone else arrested at AMC were charged with trespassing. According to LeeroyPress he was told by two officers that it was ok for him to film inside the theater,” Luke tweeted. “He said that the issue with his arrest arose when Inspector Robert O’Hare asked him for credentials. He said that after credentials were shown, inspector O’Hare said they were not the ones he was looking for and decided to go through with his arrest.”
BREAKING: #HappeningNow activists including credentialed press pass holder @leeroypress was arrested by the @nypd SRG Unit, which has operated as the person enforcers of the unconstitutional measures implements by @billdeblasio and continued by the current sitting @nycmayor AKA: DeBlasio 2.0 – SHARE IT! Keep NYC’s tyranny front and center, so the citizens throughout the country stop this from spreading to their state.
As mentioned in the Instagram Reel, NYPD allegedly arrested vaccinated patrons who weren’t even part of the peaceful sit-in inside the AMC theater.
@newyorkfreedomrally2 shared this Instagram Reel of the couple who stated they were falsely arrested in the movie theater (explicit language).
The woman speaking in the video claimed police automatically associated them with the anti-mandate activists and didn’t ask for vaccine cards before making the arrest.
All individuals arrested at AMC were released from the precinct a few hours later.
@newyorkfreedomrally2 shared input from Leeroy Press and East Ghost Reports following their arrest.
One anti-mandate activist arrested for attempting to watch a movie with purchased tickets shared his thoughts on the appalling discrimination and medical segregation taking place in New York City:
Arrested for going to the #movies without a #vaxpass! We paid for tickets, yet were "trespassing." Everyone in the room was #arrested ― including two members of the press and two customers who had shown their vax passes.#theater #segregation #civilrights #NYPD #police #arrest pic.twitter.com/GbbfJh4xUC
— Michaelanthony (@themeatofit) February 8, 2022
With the events that unfolded at AMC, unvaccinated, vaccinated, and even independent media can get unlawfully arrested over NYC’s unconstitutional, immoral mandates.
Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul continue leading the biggest clown show in America.
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!