Harrisburg, Pa – Mayor Eric Papenfuse was spotted on N. 3rd Street exiting his Midtown bookstore this afternoon during the anti-lockdown protest in the city. He was immediately questioned about not wearing a face mask in public, despite the recommendations of the CDC, and order by Governor Tom Wolf.
Citizen reporter Tim Rowbottom captured the encounter on video as he was recording the anti-lockdown event. Not only did the mayor violate social distancing and the mask requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Papenfuse also appeared to be smuggling an unopened package of toilet paper from the Midtown Scholar bookstore, in a moment of comic relief.
Rowbottom pressed the mayor several times, asking Papenfuse “Where’s your mask?” Papenfuse declined to comment.
Mayor Papenfuse has been avoiding interviews this year after a real estate scandal rocked his administration.
Minutes before the encounter, Rowbottom complained about inappropriate deviate activity that has been occurring between the Mayor’s bookstore and the neighboring LGBT center.
Papenfuse hosted a drag queen story time for children event at his bookstore featuring ‘Miss’ Anita, who “has been preforming for 17 years and is a huge advocate for encouraging children to read and create.”
Watch the video below:
When still photographs of Papenfuse were posted to social media by photojournalist Sean Kitchen, the mayor was roasted in the Midtown Harrisburg Facebook group for not wearing the mask. In the comments Papenfuse was compared to the character Al from the animated film Toy Story.
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