Days before the election, a Temecula City Council candidate sponsored a rally challenging California’s COVID-19 protections. One speaker promised more mass gatherings defying the state’s guidance.
Jessica Alexander organized a rally outside City Hall that challenged the state’s COVID-19 restrictions, just a few days before she got the most votes on election night for a seat on the council last week. One of the speakers, Peggy Hall, a self-described social media influencer, later posted her own speech online.
“We’re going to have the largest Thanksgiving feasts and we’re going to do it all together,” Hall told the crowd.
Saying the location hasn’t been determined, Hall says they are planning a Thanksgiving gathering somewhere in Southern California. People won’t be wearing masks or staying socially distant. They would pass around potluck dishes, in defiance of public health orders, she told the cheering crowd.
The video came to light as Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke earlier this week about the need to continue the restrictions.
“Why do you think there has been an increase?” Newsom asked. “People are letting their guard down. They’re starting to take their masks off.”
Alexander did not respond to a request for comment. She remains ahead of three other candidates among the four people running in the Temecula City Council District 2.
Temecula is in Riverside County, which is in the purple tier under the state guidance. The event at City Hall happened while cases rise around the state, including in nearby San Diego County.
