Kyrie Irving's Anti-Vaxx Supporters Storm Barclays Center, Prompting Brooklyn Nets to Place Arena on Lockdown
Demonstrators gather for a protest against the current administration outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on January 7, 2021 a day after pro-Trump mob stormed and trashed the Capitol. - President Donald Trump faced a growing chorus of calls January 7 to be removed from office under the 25th Amendment for inciting the mob violence that swept through the US Capitol one day earlier. KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images

The anti-vaxx supporters of NBA star Kyrie Irving stormed the home of the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, breaking and throwing barricades outside the Barclays Center.

Irving was neither seen nor heard at the Brooklyn Nets home opener on Sunday, but his decision of not getting the COVID-19 vaccine affected the team heavily.

Anti-Vaxx Supporters of Kyrie Irving Displays Aggression at Barclays Center

According to Yahoo Sports, ahead of the home opener of the Brooklyn Nets against the Charlotte Hornets, a large group of vaccine mandate protesters protested outside the Barclays Center, demanding Kyrie Irving be allowed to play NBA games again.

Wearing shirts that read slogans such as "Stand with Kyrie" and chanting "Let Kyrie play," the anti-vaxx supporters soon turned aggressive and stormed past the barricades outside the Barclays Center.

Newsday's Barbara Barker tweeted that the group included former President Donald Trump supporters and people with Black Lives Matter signs. Another source claimed to hear a reference to the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.

The situation alarmed the arena officials. Barker said it turned ugly enough that the Nets shut down admission into the Barclays Center while trying to keep protesters out of the building.

But Newsday's Greg Logan reported that the lockdown was brief. Logan noted that it was only minutes later that arena personnel and police got the situation under control. After that, fans with tickets were being admitted again to watch the home opener of the Nets.

In a statement later released by the Barclays Center, it confirmed the said lockdown. The center noted that they briefly closed its doors in order to clear protestors from the main doors on the plaza and ensure that their guests could safely enter the arena.

The statement added that only ticketed guests were able to enter the building, and the game between the Nets and the Hornets proceeded according to schedule.

Meanwhile, even though Kyrie Irving is only barred from Nets home games due to the New York COVID-19 protocols, the Nets announced that the NBA star would not play until the situation is resolved.

Kyrie Irving's Struggle Continues

Current New York protocols required home players to be vaccinated to get on the court, prompting Kyrie Irving to miss the Nets' media day and preseason games.

The Nets found a loophole in the protocol so he could practice, but the team eventually decided to bar Irving from playing if he would be only limited to road games.

The Nets have also held off on any talks regarding a potential $186 million contract extension for the star point guard. Kyrie Irving has tried to stress that he's not anti-vaccine and clarified that he was just trying to be a "voice for the voiceless."

However, the NBA did not consider the reason cited by the basketball star and still followed the vaccination protocols implemented in each state that were part of their basketball operations.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: NEW YORK - Protesters Storm Barclays Center In Brooklyn In Support Of Kyrie Irving - From Citizen Ascendant