Vaccine Protest Puts Barclays Center Into Brief Lockdown: Report

BROOKLYN, NY — An anti-vaccine mandate rally briefly put the Barclays Center into lockdown on Sunday as protesters stormed the stadium's barricades, according to reports.

Protesters with shirts supporting Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving — who has been barred from playing given his refusal to get vaccinated — rallied outside of the venue as the team prepared to play the Charlotte Hornets.

The venue briefly shut down admissions when protesters began to storm past barricades, according to reporters with Newsday.

"Barclays Center briefly closed its doors today in order to clear protestors from the main doors on the plaza and ensure guests could safely enter the arena," the venue confirmed in a statement. "Only ticketed guests were able to enter the building and the game proceeded according to schedule."

Irving's refusal to get the shot had kept him from playing in home games given New York protocols surrounding the vaccine. The Nets most recently have said Irving will not practice or play with the team until the vaccination situation is "resolved," according to Yahoo Sports.

"This is not a political thing; this is not about the NBA, not about any organization," Irving has said about his decision. "This is about my life and what I am choosing to do."

The Barclays Center was one of the first venues to support the city's "Key To NYC" vaccine mandate, which requires fans and workers of most indoor entertainment venues to be at least partially vaccinated.

"We know that vaccines are one of the most important ways, one of the most important tools, that we have to fight this pandemic," Barclays CEO John Abbamondi said at the time.