Vaccinated NYC Workers Stand with their Unvaccinated Brothers and Sisters

Tramell Thompson Brings the #RipItUp Challenge to City Hall

Associated Press Covers #RipItUP

PRESS RELEASE

2-8-22

NYC’s Transit & Labor Leader, Tramell Thompson, led a group of city workers in ripping up their vaccine cards in front of City Hall yesterday. Thompson is vaccinated himself, but ripped up his vaccine card in protest on January 5, 2022 at a massive anti-mandate rally in Albany, NY.

Thompson is an African American transit worker and member of the Local 100 MTA Union. He has stated that he is “pro-choice but anti-segregation” when it comes to vaccination. On February 7, 2022 Thompson launched what he and Bravest for Choice Firefighter Paul Schweit call the “Rip It Up Challenge — #RipItUp.”

The Associated Press covered the #RipItUp Challenge and interviewed Local 100 Transit Worker John Mooney who is vaccinated, boosted, survived cancer 3 years ago, but chose to rip up his vaccine card in solidarity with his unvaccinated colleagues.

“I’m fully vaccinated,” said Mooney to the AP, “but I don’t want to be segregated from the unvaccinated.” The #RipItUp Challenge is reminiscent of 1960s resistance to the Vietnam War where college students would burn their draft cards.

Thompson is calling on everyone with a vaccine card to #ripitup, post them ripping their card to shreds on social media, and spread the word to friends and family.

Watch the entire AP coverage here:

Watch Thompson lead NYC workers in ripping up their vaccine cards in front of city hall here:

Firefighters, Transit Workers and others tear up their vaccination passports aka segregation passes at City Hall.

It’s your turn to rip up yours! #ripitup pic.twitter.com/HT1TMTPZ2u

— Progressive Action (TV) (@progressiveact) February 7, 2022