‘Wake Up Washington’ Rally Held in Protest of Mandates

Demonstrators waving flags and signs lined Chelan Avenue at its intersection with 9th Street to protest vaccine mandates and other COVID-related issues Tuesday.

Organizer Angela Dye said the crowd of roughly 150 was much bigger than expected.

"Medical freedom needs to be a thing." stated Dye, "It doesn't matter if you choose to get the vaccine or not get the vaccine. You need to be able to make the choice."

Organizer May Tussey, her husband and her son all lost their jobs with Confluence Health because of the mandate. She says it was heartwarming, encouraging and empowering to see the crowds that came out.

"This is not just for people who are directly impacted by the mandate, this is for every community member because it affects us all." explained Tussey, "We all need healthcare, we all need our law enforcement to protect us, we all need teachers, we all need WSDOT workers."

Heading into the the final week before Monday's vaccine mandate deadline, Confluence Health had over 400 employees that were still unvaccinated. The demonstration was held in the shadow of Confluence Health's Mares Building.

Organizers hope to put on larger protests going forward to get more community members involved.