Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Unhinged Anti-Vaxxer Argues That NYC Burger King Isn't A Private Business Because It's Open To The Public

Unhinged Anti-Vaxxer Argues That NYC Burger King Isn't A Private Business Because It's Open To The Public
@patriottakes/Twitter

Five individuals were arrested Monday night after a group of anti-vaxxers stormed a Burger King in downtown Brooklyn, New York to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates that recently went into effect citywide.

Videos of the protest at 417 Fulton Street circulated online, with many of them leaving as soon as officers with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) arrived.


But few videos of the event have captured as much attention as one featuring a woman proclaiming that she and her cohort can't be kicked out of Burger King because "it's open to the public."

She doubles down when informed that Burger King is, in fact, a private business, telling officers:

"No it's not. If it was private, they would do it [allow people to order food] by appointment only."

The woman's remarks show a remarkable lack of comprehension of the right of businesses to refuse service.

Businesses have a legal right to decline to provide their goods or services to customers provided they aren’t discriminating against certain customers and violating federal anti-discrimination laws on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.

Those who refuse to abide by the recommendations of public health experts and comply with New York City's COVID-19 vaccine mandate are not a protected class.

New York City's private-sector vaccine mandate, which went into effect this week, requires nearly 185,000 businesses to track vaccine proof for employees. It also requires anyone aged 12 and up to show proof of full vaccination to eat indoors at New York City restaurants or enter other indoor venues, like movie theaters, gyms or arenas.

The mandate comes as the city deals with a surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, which is more contagious than prior variants, including Delta. The mandate was announced earlier this month, just days after the city reported its first Omicron case.

The woman's claim exposed her and her fellow anti-vaxxers to significant mockery on social media.


According to Sergeant Edward Riley, a spokesperson for the NYPD, five arrests occurred at approximately 7:34 a.m.

Five men–Michael Mitchell, 36, of Brooklyn; Augusto Alarcon, 39, of the Bronx; Ethan Boisvert, 41, of Queens; Mitchell Bosch, 41, of Brooklyn; and Bradford Solomon, 44, of Queens–were charged with trespassing.

Earlier this year, Bosch participated in the January 6 insurrection, which took place when a mob of former President Donald Trump's stormed the United States Capitol on the false premise the 2020 general election had been stolen.

This is Bosch's third arrest this month. He was previously arrested during protests at a Cheesecake Factory and Applebee’s.

More from Trending

Comedian Nikki Glaser appears on The Howard Stern Show to reveal the Golden Globes jokes that didn’t make it to air.
The Howard Stern Show/YouTube

Nikki Glaser Just Revealed The Jokes She Cut From The Golden Globes—And Some Of Them Are Hilariously Brutal

Nikki Glaser not only survived her second Golden Globes hosting gig but came armed with receipts for the jokes that didn’t make it to air.

In a post-ceremony appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the comedian revealed what was cut from her opening monologue at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, offering listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how close several celebrities came to being absolutely torched on live television.

Keep ReadingShow less
A shot of a person's handcuffed hands held in the air against a white background.
Photo by niu niu on Unsplash

People Break Down Which Things Are Truly A Victimless Crime

Is everything described as a "crime" really a crime?

Some actions are just more... wrong, or naughty.

Keep ReadingShow less

Cheaters Who Never Got Caught Divulge How They Feel About It Now

There's a long-running saying that once a person cheats, they will eventually cheat again.

While that might not be true for everyone, and mistakes absolutely do happen, a lot of that repetition comes from how remorseful or guilty a person feels as a result of cheating on their partner.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jesse Kortuem; Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams in 'Heated Rivalry'
Jesse Kortuem/Facebook; Crave/HBO Max

Hockey Player Comes Out As Gay In Powerful Post After Being Inspired By 'Heated Rivalry'

Recently, Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams told Andy Cohen he's been flooded with messages from closeted gay athletes thanking him for his work on the show.

Now, the impact of the Crave and HBO series has gone up a notch, with hockey player Jesse Kortuem coming out publicly after being inspired by the show.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ilona Maher
@ilonamaher/TikTok

Olympian Ilona Maher Perfectly Shuts Down Body-Shaming Troll Who Said She Looks 'Pregnant' In Dress

It might be 2026, but there are still people out there with totally unattainable—and biologically impossible—standards for women and their bodies.

A key example is shaming a woman for not having a totally flat stomach. Meanwhile, this is a totally normal feature of a woman's body because it is where a woman's uterus is, and what we're seeing from the outside is the body's protective barrier for that and other organs.

Keep ReadingShow less