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Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021

Did high school students in Illinois protest a vaccine mandate by quitting and leaving their shoes at the school?

Marlo Lee, Lead Stories

no

A photo on social media does show dozens of shoes lined up outside a school office in protest of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate—but contrary to the post with the photo, the protest was not by high school students who left their shoes as they "quit."

The protest was staged at an elementary school district administrative office by adults in opposition to a statewide vaccine mandate for school personnel. A district spokesperson said students have not been pulled out of the elementary school en masse by parents.

A local news report said the protest was called "Shoes for Freedom," and the article showed a picture of some of the signs left on the administrative office's front entrance, with the signs expressing opposition to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for school personnel.

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