With the province鈥檚 announcement that proof of vaccination will be needed to access non-essential services, local businesses are taking the brunt of people鈥檚 frustration.

Recently, an Instagram account surfaced called discriminatorybusinessesbc, where businesses in B.C. that will require proof of vaccination from patrons are publicly shamed. Followers are being asked to boycott businesses profiled on the account.

琉璃神社 restaurant Frankie We Salute You was recently profiled by the account, alleging the restaurant supports 鈥渟egregation.鈥�

Owner Christina Skinner said it all started when plans for the vaccine card were announced on Aug. 30.

鈥淲e started receiving inquiries from people asking about what our status (on the card) would be and saying if we were choosing to follow the mandate, they would boycott us and encouraged others to do the same,鈥� she said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 an interesting choice of words. 鈥楥hoosing to follow the mandate鈥�? It鈥檚 not like businesses have much of a choice on the matter.鈥�

Skinner said instead of ignoring the threat, they decided to respond.

鈥淲e said we don鈥檛 actually know what the mandate will entail. We don鈥檛 know what the expectations are, how it will work.

鈥淩ather than understanding the situation, they chose to accept that we would be 鈥榮upporting the mandate鈥� and they chose to boycott us, shame us on social media by saying we鈥檙e supporting discrimination.鈥�

She said this isn鈥檛 the first time boycotts and threats have happened at Frankie鈥檚, either, with the restaurant鈥檚 staff being harassed before by anti-maskers.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very small percent of the population, but they鈥檝e just made my staff鈥檚 quality of life miserable. My staff have been insulted and threatened and even if that just happens to someone once a week, that鈥檚 still a lot. It鈥檚 exhausting,鈥� she said.

But just like the community rallied around them when Frankie鈥檚 was targeted by anti-maskers, Skinner said they have received an outpouring of support recently too.

In the end, she said asking if businesses are 鈥渇ollowing the mandate鈥� is not the question to ask.

鈥淚f there鈥檚 a problem with the government mandate, then take it to your vote. Instead of punishing small businesses, we should ask 鈥榃hat am I doing to support businesses, what am I doing to support health care workers and what am I doing to take care of the sick and the elderly?鈥欌��

READ MORE: 琉璃神社 mayor condemns anti-vax card protest at hospital

twila.amato@blackpress.ca
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