Residents of Palm Beach County, Florida, erupted at a county commission meeting where masks were made mandatory. Twitter users compared the intense backlash to episodes of 'Parks and Recreation.'

Rosie Perper

Jun 25, 2020, 19:54 IST

Residents of Palm Beach County, Florida, erupted at a county commission meeting where masks were made mandatory. Twitter users compared the intense backlash to episodes of 'Parks and Recreation.'

Left, a woman speaks at the Palm Beach County Commision meeting on June 23, 2020, and right, a still from the NBC Universal TV show Parks and Recreation.Screenshot/PBCTV/Getty Images

Residents of Palm Beach County, Florida, erupted at a county commission meeting on Tuesday over a new mandatory mask policy, and Twitter users compared the angry outbursts to episodes of the TV show "Parks and Recreation."
"They want to throw God's wonderful breathing system out the door," one woman said at the meeting. "You're all turning your backs on it."
"I don't wear a mask for the same reason I don't wear underwear: Things gotta breathe," another person said.
Scientists and global health bodies have encouraged people to wear facial coverings to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, and studies have found that masks and other protective gear help minimize the risk of infection.

Residents of Palm Beach County, Florida, erupted at a county commission meeting on Tuesday over a new mandatory mask policy, and Twitter users compared the angry outbursts to episodes of the TV show "Parks and Recreation."

Palm Beach County commissioners unanimously voted to make masks mandatory after a fiery debate where residents voiced their displeasure.

"You literally cannot mandate somebody to wear a mask knowing that that mask is killing people," one woman said, adding: "We the people are waking up, and we know what citizen's arrest is. Because citizen's arrests are already happening, OK? And every single one of you that are obeying the devil's laws are going to be arrested."

"The problem with humanity today is ignorance, arrogance, and apathy," another resident said. "Keep taking the road of least resistance. Keep listening to the TV brainwashing you from birth."

"They want to throw God's wonderful breathing system out the door," another woman said. "You're all turning your backs on it."

"I don't wear a mask for the same reason I don't wear underwear: Things gotta breathe," another said.

—Brody Logan (@BrodyLogan) June 24, 2020

Scientists and global health bodies have encouraged people to wear facial coverings to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, and studies have found that masks and other protective gear help minimize the risk of infection.

But masks have become a flashpoint during the coronavirus pandemic.

Twitter users were quick to poke fun at the angry Palm Beach County residents and compared the backlash to episodes of "Parks and Recreation," a comedy show that centers on the Parks and Recreation Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, that featured dramatic town-hall meetings with angry residents.