New video footage shows MP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez putting on a face mask calling for an extension of the national evictions moratorium shortly before a group photo on the steps of the Capitol on Tuesday during a sit-in.
Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat representing New York’s 14th Congressional District, was in a protest organized by Missouri 1st District Rep. Cori Bush when the video was taped.
The video shared by Breitbart News on Twitter has now been viewed more than 140,000 times. It shows Ocasio-Cortez, who is sitting with other protesters on the steps of the Capitol and preparing for a group photo.
Ocasio-Cortez doesn’t initially wear a mask while the group gets ready for the photo, but they start pulling a mask on their face and say, “Oh, Cori had to run … she had to” run, make a hit. “
This suggests that the video was shot while Bush was speaking to the media. Ocasio-Cortez then puts on the mask and the picture is taken.
Several members of the crowd follow suit, putting on their masks, while Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), already wearing a mask, joins them and sits in front.
“Housing is a human right,” says the group when the photo is taken. Markey then pulls down his mask and the camera zooms in on his face while the crowd claps.
The Breitbart video then cuts to what it calls “a minute later” and shows Ocasio-Cortez sitting on the steps talking to members of the crowd, not wearing a mask, but not showing the mask decreases.
Photos from Getty Images and on social media show the video was taken Tuesday during the Bush-organized anti-eviction event. Ocasio-Cortez wears the same clothes she wore that day, and Markey also attended for a while.
Ocasio-Cortez is fully vaccinated and current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines state that fully vaccinated individuals generally do not need to wear masks outdoors. Wearing masks indoors is still recommended regardless of vaccination status, especially in areas with high transmission.
The CDC also issued a new eviction moratorium on Tuesday, which is likely to be seen as a victory for Bush and Ocasio-Cortez. The eviction ban applies to parts of the country with significant and high transmission rates of COVID-19.
In a statement, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky: “The advent of the Delta variant has resulted in a rapid acceleration of community transmission in the United States, putting more Americans at increased risk, especially if they are not vaccinated.”
“This moratorium is the right thing to do to keep people inside and outside of gathering places where Covid-19 is spreading,” Walensky said.
Newsweek has reached out to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Markey for comments.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) MP speaks to a reporter as she protests the end of the state eviction moratorium on the steps of the U.S. Capitol’s House of Representatives on August 3, 2021 in Washington, DC. Ocasio-Cortez appeared to be putting on a face mask for a photo op on Tuesday.
Drew Angerer / Getty Images