The protest is scheduled for Wednesday, September 1. 2021 at 4:30 pm
Last Wednesday, August 25, healthcare workers at Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis, protested a mandate that all employees of the hospital must receive a Covid-19 vaccination to retain employment. Tomorrow, a group from Baptist Memorial Hospital – Oxford will hold a similar demonstration.
Headed by organizers Ashley Boatright, Kayla Warnock, and Lacy Cunningham, protestors will gather on the sidewalk in front of Baptist Memorial at 4:30 pm central time. They hope to reverse the vaccine mandate for employees of the hospital.
A flyer for the protest emphasizes, “We are not against the vaccine, we are against the mandate!”
Cunningham has worked in Nursing Informatics at Baptist for twelve and a half years and as a nurse for fifteen. She expects healthcare workers, friends, and families to join the protest.
Oxford Police Department has advised participants to park in a public parking area near Marco’s and First Watch or at the bottom RV lot on Old Taylor Road by Highway 6 as you are entering Ole Miss campus.
OPD will be on site during the rally. Cunningham indicated that individuals who will need a ride to or from the designated parking lot should plan to wear a mask while en route, though the organizers are not requiring masks at the protest site.
A spokesperson for the hospital stated, “We understand that some people have an opposing view regarding our decision to require the COVID-19 vaccine for our workforce. While they have the right to voice their opinions, we have a responsibility to provide the safest environment for our staff members and patients, many of whom are vulnerable and immunocompromised.
“Given we are in the midst of the greatest health care crisis of our generation, we made the decision that we believed to be in the best interest of our entire team, patients and community at large. This was not a decision we made lightly. We hope the recent regulatory approval the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine will further reassure our team members and community of the safety and efficacy of this vaccine.”
For questions and information about the protest, please contact Ashley Boatright via direct message on Facebook.
