On Sunday, January 23, just a week after the District of Columbia vaccine mandate goes into effect, opponents plan to protest the new order on the mall.

Washington’s vaccine mandate requires all indoor food and drink establishments, indoor cultural and entertainment venues, event venues, and exercise facilities to require patrons aged 12 years and older to show proof that they have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Patrons over 18 years will be required to show photo identification as well.

Dr. Robert Malone, a virologist and immunologist who invented the core mRNA technology used in the Covid-19 vaccines, announced the protest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on December 31. Malone has become the subject of much left-wing ire in recent weeks for his public skepticism of the Covid vaccines and how they are being implemented. Most recently, a group of medical professionals wrote a public letter to Spotify, asking the streaming service to remove the three-hour Rogan podcast episode in which Malone is featured, claiming the two are spreading “anti-vax misinformation.” Malone, for his own part, maintains the expedited measures the U.S. government took to bring the vaccines to market were “contrary to globally accepted standards for developing and regulating safe and effective licensed products,” according to his personal website.

The “Defeat The Mandates DC” website says the protest will be a march against “segregating by vaccine status,” vaccine mandates or passports, forced Covid-19 vaccination for children, and censorship. Beginning at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Washington Monument, protestors will march to the Lincoln Memorial, where speakers will then address the crowd beginning at 12:30 p.m. According to the website, the organizers are working with the D.C. Metro Police, the U.S. Park Police, and private security to ensure the safety of those attending. The website also emphasizes that those joining the protest must remain peaceful and nonviolent at all times. The event is sponsored by the Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance, the Children’s Health Defense, and the Global Covid Summit.

As some have already pointed out, while protesters all around the world have spoken out against vaccine mandates, some as near as Canada and New York City, Washington, D.C. has yet to join that list. With many conservative and pro-life Americans in town for the March for Life on January 21, the event seems to have been timed strategically. Other, smaller protests have been organized for this Saturday, January 15, when the district’s mandate officially begins.

Perhaps it’s a little late for this town to only now begin voicing dissent for imperious pandemic policies, especially when compared with countries like France, which have been protesting for months and still seen no respite. Still, late is better than never, and I like to think the American government is somewhat more responsive to the voices of its people than the heads in Paris.

At any rate, we will find out if that’s true soon enough.