Bravest for Choice Speaks at Councilwoman Joanne Ariola’s Inauguration

Don’t miss the “Let US Work” rally at City Hall February 8th - get all info here

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Matthew Connor is one of the principal leaders of Bravest For Choice, a group of FDNY firefighters, fire officers, EMT's, Paramedics, dispatchers, and fire inspectors who have been fighting vaccine mandates for over 2 years.

Connor & Bravest have had many amazing achievements, but one of the most significant has been the behind the scenes work they have done with Councilwoman Joanne Ariola from District 32, an area that includes, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Howard Beach, and the Rockaways in Queens. That work has gotten approximately two dozen firefighters and fire officers their jobs and careers back at FDNY in addition to another dozen or so frontline workers including Department of Sanitation workers.  

Councilwoman Joanne Ariola was recently elected to her second term in City Council, and retains her position as Chair of the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management.  On Monday, January 29th, 2024, her Chief of Staff, Phyillis Inserillo, held a surprise inauguration ceremony at PS 207 elementary school in Howard Beach, Queens.

Matt Connor was the only FDNY member invited to speak at the inauguration. His speech (transcribed below) made it very clear that Bravest for Choice is a force to be reckoned with in NYC for many years ahead of us.

Those of distinction in attendance included: 

FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens, who held a staff position as Chief of Operations during the implementation of the public employee vaccine mandate.  

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh, formerly 1st Deputy Commissioner to Commissioner Daniel Nigro during the implementation of the public employee vaccine mandate.  

Chief Advisor to the Mayor, Ingrid-Lewis Martin who has been at the right hand of Mayor Adams for years, including prior to the controversial exemption to the employer mandates for athletes and performers in New York City.  

Uniformed Fire Officers Association, Local 854, IAFF Vice President Christopher Jensen, formerly the UFOA Lieutenant's representative during the implementation of the public employee mandate.   

Watch the speech on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/C2sFV-Srm9J/?igsh=aDlpNjRrNGJzNnQy

Below is a full transcript of the speech

Thank you Phyllis.   

I’m honored to be here today speaking on behalf of Bravest For Choice , a group of dissenting Firefighters, Fire Officers, EMTs, Paramedics, Dispatchers, and Fire Prevention inspectors who stand for medical freedom and oppose the COVID-19 Vaxx mandate, and its destructive aftermath.

Facing threats of termination in October of 2021, we organized and marched 20,000 New Yorkers from 9 MetroTech - over the Brooklyn Bridge - to City Hall - in one of the largest labor demonstrations in our city’s history. 

 In the months that followed, we set out to Defeat The Mandates and return to work:

We filed litigation in federal court, asserting our rights to due process and the constitutional protection of religious freedom. We raised a Banner For Freedom in Times Square, the crossroads of the world, highlighting the alarming incidence of injury and death following the widely mandated injections. We bore witness to the preferential treatment of performers and athletes, and we demanded equal protection under the law as we were further segregated from the city and careers that we loved. Despite our clear message, “we will not comply” our livelihoods remained hostage to our adversaries and their inherited agenda of coercion and persecution.     

New Yorkers have dubbed us The Bravest, in recognition of our tactical proficiency and composure, and the will to overcome punishing conditions in service to our mission. But the mandates have begged an ancient Socratic question:

Who will guard the guardians? 

Councilwoman Ariola and her dedicated staff have answered that call. When Bravest For Choice sent correspondence to every elected member of the New York City Council in the Spring of 2022, petitioning intervention into our ongoing struggle, we received a lone response. And so began a journey of unparalleled advocacy and commitment on our behalf led by the councilwoman’s Chief of Staff Phyllis Inserillo. As a direct result, nearly forty frontline workers have been reinstated to their positions. The councilwoman’s office has been unrelenting and continues to stand up for those among us here today who simply want to return to work. 

Councilwoman: We join everyone present today in celebration of your bravery, your commitment, and your willingness to tackle this controversial position in order to simply do the right thing. It shows great moral, and political courage. We congratulate you on your second term in the 32nd district, and we look forward to your continued oversight and leadership citywide - as chair of the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management.

You have our most sincere appreciation, and our deepest thanks. 

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Bravest for Choice presented Councilwoman Ariola with a “thin red line” flag with a personal message written to her on the back. The flag was handcrafted in the USA by military veterans: