As COVID rages, Sean Feucht holds New 12 months’s Eve gathering

Southern California residents principally stayed house on New 12 months’s Eve, heeding warnings by public well being officers, however a number of massive gatherings had been nonetheless held throughout the area, together with one by Christian activist Sean Feucht that drew a whole bunch of principally unmasked attendants to a church car parking zone in Valencia.

Regardless of the dangers of spreading the coronavirus amid a lethal surge within the pandemic, an estimated 2,500 folks may very well be seen standing shoulder to shoulder whereas leaping, singing and shouting in a video posted by Feucht’s Instagram account. Most within the crowd didn’t put on face coverings.

The gathering happened Thursday night time within the car parking zone of Larger Imaginative and prescient Church in Valencia for a New 12 months’s Eve live performance and worship service coordinated by Feucht.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies mentioned there have been no incidents reported earlier than, throughout or after the occasion.

It was the most recent in a string of occasions organized by Feucht, who has repeatedly ignored public well being orders by holding gatherings that critics have denounced as potential super-spreader occasions for COVID-19, together with a Thursday morning musical and homeless-outreach effort at Echo Park Lake.

“Come house. Come house tonight. Come on, run to the cross. Run to the cross. Within the title of Jesus, run, run, run shortly,” Feucht says in a single video.

A stream of women and men might be seen working by way of a crowd of a whole bunch of screaming contributors squeezed collectively.

“This was really my fav second as a whole bunch ran to the cross giving their lives to Jesus,” Feucht wrote, adopted by crying emojis. “The misplaced want Jesus and we should boldly preach him. No backing down!!!”

Jacky RoDerte, heart, will get into an altercation with a lady, left, whereas providing her a masks throughout the gathering at Echo Park Lake. The lady refused to place one on.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Occasions)

Earlier Thursday night, actor Kirk Cameron and a number of other others gathered at Level Mugu Seashore in Ventura County, in keeping with ABC-7 footages and different information sources.

“We must be listening for the voice of God, moderately than being distracted by the noise of males. … And let’s let our 2021 be a 12 months of trumpets and shouting,” Cameron mentioned in a video posted on his Instagram web page, which confirmed a crowd shouting and clapping in response to his sermon. Most didn’t put on masks.

In current weeks, Cameron has brazenly defied COVID-19 mandates to put on masks and bodily distance from others, claiming they violate civil and spiritual liberties. He not too long ago hosted two caroling occasions in 1000’s Oaks that additionally got here below hearth from public well being authorities.
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Ventura County sheriff’s officers didn’t obtain any calls concerning the gathering on the remoted stretch of seashore, Capt. Eric Buschow mentioned.

Whereas the gathering was in defiance of state well being orders, Buschow mentioned, the spiritual group is exempted.

“There are all these loopholes and that’s precisely what they’re exploiting … the loopholes,” Buschow mentioned. “That’s why we didn’t take any motion.”

In distinction to the defiant gatherings the day prior, Pasadena on New 12 months’s Day was principally quiet, feeling the financial brunt of a shutdown Rose Bowl Parade, a choice the Event of Roses made to avoid wasting lives and forestall the unfold of the coronavirus.

It was the primary time in 75 years the parade had been canceled. Altogether, the area stands to lose as much as $200 million by not internet hosting the parade and Rose Bowl sport, in keeping with a 2018 examine carried out by the Enigma Analysis Corp., which estimated event-related spending.

The parade was additionally canceled throughout the wartime years of 1942, 1943 and 1945.

Some tried to make the perfect of the state of affairs.

Shortly after the cancelation was introduced, Richard Ur of Bradbury referred to as automotive golf equipment throughout Southern California to arrange a cruise alongside the parade route.

The Sultans Automotive Membership in Lengthy Seashore, which was a part of the New 12 months’s Day cruise, inspired contributors on its web site to socially distance, put on a masks and “carry a rose or two or extra.”

“It’s a Rose Parade Cruise,” the online web page introduced. “A fellow named Dick Ur informed us that he had a dream, which consisted of traditional vehicles cruising all alongside the Rose Parade route, with not less than one rose in— or on each automotive. Though he doesn’t have a traditional automotive any longer, he has love and fervour for traditional vehicles. We might like to make his dream come true!”

A separate group referred to as the Folks’s Rose Parade additionally organized a automotive caravan Friday to honor the victims of COVID-19 and advocate for healthcare modifications.