just be safe, make it home safe, come out every day.
Do not let up!
Protesters cheer her on in the background of the video as her ambulance slowly crawls down the street.
When she resumes her chant of Black Lives Matter, the crowd goes wild and joins in.
Ambulance EMT just got on her radio to cheer on the Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Brooklyn.
But her newfound fame worried many fans that she could face professional repercussions for protesting.
…
People quickly created a petition urgingVarelas employers not to fire her for her activism.
(As of print date, 3,000 people have signed.)
Here, Well+Good talks with Varela about protesting during the pandemic and her hopes for the BLM movement.
Well+Good: How long have you been working as an EMT?
Taylor Varela:Ive been an EMT for three years now.
My mom was actually an EMT until she got pregnant with me.
Growing up, she would always tell me about the patients she still remembered.
Ive also always been interested in medical terminology and anatomy.
Your passion for the Black Lives Matter movement clearly resonates with so many people.
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What does it mean to you personally?
[Abuse against Black people] is so hard to see.
Its enraging not to see change for basic human rights.
What is The Missionary Sex Position?
Have your roles as an EMT and protestor overlapped at all?
My job tries to keep us away from the protests to protect our safety.
Ive seen many effects of that first-hand.
It has devastated a lot of lives and families.
As an EMT, I absolutely encourage people to take safety precautions.
It shows we are ready for a changeregardless of what is going on.
Tell me about the video.
What inspired that moment of grabbing the intercom and encouraging the protestors?
Like I said, my job keeps us away from the protests for our safety.
It was totally coincidental.
I heard the chanting and it wasnt really something thought out in my mind, it was automatic.
I had to say something.
I had to join in.
Many of these protestors had been out there since 2 p.m. and it was now after 8 p.m.
Many of them were hot, hungry, and tired but they were still out there spreading this message.
There was actually a petition going around for you to keep your job.
Were you at risk of losing it for participating in the protest?
I dont think I was in danger of losing my job.
A colleague of mine who I had never even met was the one who started the petition, actually.
Ive just been using those three days to rejuvenate and get ready for going back to work.
People in cities across Americaand the worldare protesting right along with you.
What do you hope comes from this movement?
I really hope to see a lot of changes.
Im an EMT and experienced thePPE shortagesfirst-hand at the beginning of COVID-19.
We needed more resources to help prevent people from dying during the pandemic.
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