SYSTEM OF A DOWN Drummer Rails Against Los Angeles's Vaccine Mandate: 'Self-Imposed Tyranny And Mental Slavery Is Rampant'

SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan has blasted Los Angeles's vaccine mandate, saying it's akin to "self-imposed tyranny and mental slavery."

Angelenos visiting restaurants, movie theaters, malls, salons and several other venues in Los Angeles have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative virus test to enter.

SafePassLA ordinance is one of the strictest mandates of its kind in the nation, and includes all individuals eligible for a COVID vaccine. It means that vaccine verification is needed at many more locations within the city's limits than in surrounding areas.

Under the ordinance, which was approved by the L.A. City Council in early October, patrons age 12 and older have to show either:

* A physical vaccination card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
* A photocopy of a vaccination card or a photograph stored on their phone,
* A digital vaccination record issued by the state of California or a state, local or foreign jurisdiction, or an approved private company.
* Documentation of a COVID-19 vaccine from a healthcare provider.

Anyone age 18 and over also has to provide identification.

The ordinance also requires people to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend outdoor events with 5,000 or more people.

On Monday night (November 22),Dolmayan, who splits his time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, took to his Instagram to write: "Why does history repeat itself in the most tragic ways? People forget to capitalize on the lessons of the past and ignore the signs of a disastrous future.

"Today I went to a restaurant in Los Angeles that had a security guard that demanded paperwork for entry and watched as dozens of patrons capitulated and showed their 'papers'.

"Things really don't change do they? As long as you have a strong propaganda machine in place and find a way to take away basic rights even temporarily most people will do anything they are asked to gain back a sense of normalcy. The funny thing is three miles East in Glendale life is far more free and normal.

"Self imposed tyranny and mental slavery is rampant and infesting far too many places world wide. Hopefully this madness will pass".

82% of Los Angeles County residents aged 12 and over have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, and 73% are fully vaccinated. Of the county's overall population of 10.3 million people, 71% have received at least one dose, and 63% are fully vaccinated.

Current figures show unvaccinated people are nine times more likely than vaccinated people to get infected, and 67 times more likely to be hospitalized.

There are exemptions to Los Angeles's mandate: Those who self-attest to having a medical or religious reason for not getting vaccinated can instead provide a negative coronavirus test taken during the 72 hours before entering an indoor space.

Patrons who aren't vaccinated and don't qualify for an exemption can still opt to use outdoor areas of the venues. And they can be allowed to briefly go inside the location to use the restroom, place an order or pick up an item if they're masked.

Beginning November 29, venues can be issued a citation for not implementing the requirement, and may be fined $1,000 for a second violation, and thousands more for subsequent violations, according to the ordinance.

In the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election, Dolmayan repeatedly defended Donald Trump, saying that the opponents of America's 45th president "perpetuated and instigated a total shutdown of the economy" in the hopes that it would crash and that he would be blamed. Dolmayan also praised Trump and accused Democrats of "demonizing" the former president and "blaming him for everything under the sun." In addition, John called Democrats "the true bigots" who "fought to maintain slavery" and were "directly responsible for 70 plus million abortions, a large majority of whom were black." Dolmayan also supported Trump's claim that his administration had done more for the African-American community "than any president since Abraham Lincoln."