Activists Want Singer to Stay Away From LA's Skid Row

An evangelical Christian singer who has protested COVID restrictions with open-air concerts is coming to Los Angeles—but a lot of people want him to stay away. Sean Feucht, whose events have featured large numbers of maskless people crowded together, has advertised events including a "massive outreach" to the homeless in the Skid Row district Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Times reports. Activists who worry that the concerts could spread the coronavirus are planning a car blockade to keep Feucht and his followers out of the area. "The problem we’re facing is even prior to the stay-at-home order, people come into the community and say they’re bringing resources but what they’re bringing is the disease," says Stephen Jn-Marie, pastor of a Skid Row congregation.

Last month, thousands of people failed to wear masks or socially distance at Feucht's "Let Us Worship" event in New Orleans. "It’s a superspreader event,” Jenna Kyle with the Poor People’s Campaign tells CBS Los Angeles. "They’re coming in with no masks, no social distance. They haven’t done either in their past events. Chicago tried to shut them down. New Orleans put out a statement that they regretted that they ever allowed the event to occur." She adds: "I f you really cared about Los Angeles and Skid Row, it’s been here a long time, he could have come pre-COVID-19." Homeless outreach events do not require permits. The Sacramento Bee reports that officials declined to confirm whether they would be enforcing COVID-19 restrictions at the events. (More coronavirus stories.)