While his Brooklyn Nets struggle out the gate with a 1-2 record, pro-Kyrie Irving fans protest his banishment from the team due to his adamant refusal to take the vaccine.
Hundreds of angry fans flooded the entrance area to the Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York to object to the city’s mandate that no citizen be allowed to enter public places without proof of inoculation.
Most sports connoisseurs picked the Nets to at least make it to the Eastern Conference Finals at the end of the 2021-22 season. A large percentage believe the Nets can advance to the championship round and win it all. Irving’s conspicuous absence has robbed the team of a key component of that championship-caliber squad, and fans let the city and team hear their disapproval.
The scene outside Barclays Center where a group of protesters chant, “No vaccine mandate, Stand with Kyrie.” Several hold “Stand with Kyrie” signs. This is the Nets’ home opener. Kyrie Irving will be away from team until he complies with NYC vaccine mandate. pic.twitter.com/833DqYOLf7
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) October 24, 2021
The Nets decided to bar Irving, 29, from playing for the team instead of performing in half the season on the road. Irving, meanwhile, remains resolute in his vaccination stance.
“I chose to be unvaccinated, and that was my choice,” Irving said in a recent IG story. “And I would ask y’all just to respect that choice, and I am gonna just continue to stay in shape, be ready to play, be ready to rock out with my teammates, and just be part of this whole thing.”
Anti-vaxxers reportedly got rambunctious and broke through the barricades set up by security, CBS Sports reported. The security brigade then retreated to protect the doors, while one protester even picked up and threw a barricade at a security officer:
Protesters just broke through barricades to Barclay's Center, barricades thrown and security rushed to close the doors and people chanted "I'm with Kyrie" pic.twitter.com/IBx2qgUir0
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) October 24, 2021
The television station reported that the building had to go into lockdown mode while the security personnel mitigated the protesters’ behavior.
Building in lockdown. They are not letting any more fans in. I just practically gave up my first born to get in media door. pic.twitter.com/v8TsiQIA29
— Barbara Barker (@meanbarb) October 24, 2021
The brief disruption did not interrupt the team’s flow, however, as the game started on schedule.
