Angry over COVID rules, NY mothers get political

NEW YORK - Fed up with COVID-19 restrictions, Danyela Souza Egorov decided to turn her anger into action and run for public office. She is trying to win a New York state Senate seat to represent Lower Manhattan.

"It is really hard for the children to understand what you're saying when you have a mask," she said. "And that's what motivated me to run."

The Democrat and mother of two is part of a growing movement of parents demanding to be heard when it comes to the pandemic and their children. 

"We cannot wait for politicians to take care of our children — we need to take care of our children," Egorov said. "What this pandemic has showed us is that they are going to take their time. They have no urgency. They have not prioritized our children."

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Fueled by social media, these so-called angry COVID moms cross party lines and ZIP codes. They have raised objections at school board meetings, taken on teachers' unions, called for schools to reopen, and demanded an end to mask mandates.

Azalia Volpe, who lives on Staten Island, is also part of this movement. 

"No one's really listening to moms and they're shutting us down," Volpe said. "So I think it's about time that we start standing up and really showing what we are, which is mothers who care for our children and who actually know what's best for our children."

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Both her 10-year-old and her 12-year-old children have different special needs. She said her kids and others need to be unmasked in the classroom.

"My son — who has Asperger's — he can't read cues, so he doesn't know if his teacher is angry at him or is it just because she's speaking loudly because she has a mask on," Volpe said. "He doesn't understand that, right? And so he comes home and he's more agitated, more frustrated and really overwhelmed."