'Burn the mask' protest temporarily shutters Fresno Trader Joe's FacebookTwitterEmail A Fresno Trader Joe's closed early Saturday after anti-mask protesters blocked the entrance.Ric Francis / AP A group of anti-mask protesters temporarily shuttered a Trader Joe's in Fresno. Although scientific evidence — and guidance from local, state and federal officials — support the importance of mask-wearing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, "Burn the Mask" protesters blocked the entrance of the grocery store on Saturday afternoon. As a result, the store chose to close early. It was not closed by police, as some on social media erroneously claimed. Video posted to social media shows one protester reading a prepared list of reasons why Trader Joe's, a private business, must serve him despite his refusal to wear a mask. As he argues close up and maskless with a masked Trader Joe's employee, he's cheered on by a group of supporters, many filming on their phones. The protesters then begin writing down the names of the employees based on their name tags. The man claims they will be "legally prosecuted" for barring them from entering the store, to which an employee says, "Alright" as he closes the door on them.