Exclusive — Leader of Los Angeles Firefighters for Freedom: Vaccine Mandate Violates Our God-Given Constitutional Rights

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 29: A Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) firefighter rec
Mario Tama/Getty Images

John Knox, a firefighter in Los Angeles and head of Firefighters for Freedom, told Breitbart News on Thursday that a vaccine mandate imposed on first responders by local authorities violates God-given rights articulated in the Constitution.

“We are a group of firefighters in the city of Los Angeles who have been mandated by the city and the county to get the shot by September 30th or be terminated,” Know said on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti initially announced a vaccine mandate for city employees in late July. Unvaccinated city employees would be forced to undergo weekly coronavirus tests, if they want to retain their jobs. Weeks later, the Los Angeles City Council voted to remove city employees’ option to have negative coronavirus tests in lieu of vaccinations. 

Knox said, “That’s not okay with us. We believe that as citizens of the United States, we have the right to freedom of choice to what we do with our bodies, and so we’ve basically drawn a line in the sand said that we will not go and get this shot. We have this constitutional right.”

“All throughout this pandemic, we have worked through it without having the ability to take a shot or being mandated to take it,” he remarked. “As firefighters, one of the things we do is manage [and] mitigate risk. [We have been] able to work through this over the past 18 months, and not have this be an issue. Now, all of a sudden, we get a statement that says you shall do this, or be terminated.”

Firefighters try to hose down flames as homes burn in the Getty fire area along Tigertail Road, Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Firefighters try to hose down flames as homes burn in the Getty fire area along Tigertail Road, October 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

He emphasized, “It is absolutely ludicrous, and we won’t stand for it.”

Knox described his organization’s mission as transcending the left-right political paradigm. He said the Los Angeles Times — which called for terminations of unvaccinated firefighters — falsely framed his organization as “some far-right fringe group.”

“We’re American citizens that truly understand what is at stake here,” he stated. “This has nothing to do with left or right.”

He continued, “This is not a vaccine-versus-anti-vaccine [matter]. This is not a left-versus-right [matter]. We are apolitical. We literally believe in our God-given rights. They’re enshrined in our founding documents, and … are being stripped away from us at ridiculous speeds over the last 18 months.”

“What we’ve seen in overreach and loss of freedoms is completely unacceptable,” he added. “That’s why we’re standing, because this is coming to us right now.” American citizens will be further abused by the government if they do not defend their rights, he warned.

Anti-vaccination protesters pray and rally near City Hall following the Los Angeles City Council vote earlier this week to draw up an ordinance to require proof of vaccination to enter many public indoor spaces in Los Angeles, August 14, 2021. (Photo by DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (Photo by DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-vaccination protesters pray and rally near City Hall following the Los Angeles City Council vote earlier this week to draw up an ordinance to require proof of vaccination to enter many public indoor spaces in Los Angeles, August 14, 2021. (David McNew/AFP via Getty Images)

He remarked, “This is coming down the pipe to the citizens, and that’s already happening. The school board — I believe today or this week sometime — is now meeting to start mandating for children 12 years and older right to get the shot. Where does this overreach stop? At what point do we, as citizens of the United States of America, abdicate our freedom and our ability to choose what we do to our bodies? The government is not in charge of my healthcare.”

The Firefighters for Freedom website states:

We are a dedicated group of Professional Firefighters who believe in Liberty, Free Choice and our Great Country as well as the freedoms it provides.

As Stakeholders for the LAFD, (Los Angeles City Fire Department), our mission is to maintain human rights, constitutional rights, civil rights, and civil liberties as sovereign natural free human beings, and American citizens. We believe in the right to work, freewill, personal choice, medical freedoms, and consent without coercion, retaliation, threats, disciplinary action, or termination. This is not a vaccine versus non-vaccine issue, this is not a left verse right political issue. This is a human rights issue. We hope you stand with us, for we believe all members and citizens have the freedom of choice and natural rights. Your body, your choice. My body, my choice.

 Our goal is to stop the mandated vaccinations for all City employees as well as the citizens of this great country. We want to bring education and truth to the people without being censored. Please stand with us in this monumental fight to preserve our Liberties.

Knox concluded, “I’ve never been more convicted on anything in my life. I will stand to this to the end,” adding that his fellow board members at Firefighters for Freedom share his conviction.

“We’ve taken that stand [and] will go to the end on this,” Knox emphasized.

Breitbart News Daily broadcasts live on SiriusXM Patriot 125 weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.