Last Wednesday, Michigan residents went to the state capitol to protest Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s state shutdown, chanting “We are not prisoners.”
Called “Operation Gridlock,” the rally attracted an estimated 4,000 people, mostly in cars, voicing anger over Governor Whitmer’s “stay-at-home” orders, which ban residents from visiting any other home except for taking care of a relative or dropping off children.
In addition, a group of residents and a local business filed separate federal lawsuits claiming the governor’s orders violate their constitutional rights.
In response, Governor Whitmer called the protests “the kind of irresponsible action that puts us in this situation where we might have to actually think about extending stay-at-home orders which is supposedly what they are protesting.”
Over the past week:
- Last Thursday, about 100 protestors interrupted a press briefing by Governor Andy Beshear with the chanting of “open up Kentucky.” Other chants included “We want to work” and “facts over fear.”
- Last Friday, dozens of demonstrators in Oregon drove around the capital, Salem, honking horns, demanding that Governor Kate Brown re-open the state’s economy. The governor made it known days before the rally that she will not open the economy or ease stay-at-home restrictions until there’s a clear decline in coronavirus cases and data making her confident that going back to normal is safe.
- On Saturday, in Austin, Texas, hundreds chanted, “Fire Fauci” as they gathered outside the state capitol. Governor Greg Abbott has announced plans to slowly end the shutdown beginning last Monday when state parks were re-opened under e stipulation that people gather in no larger numbers than five, wear masks, and maintain social distance.
- Over 2,000 Washington State residents joined a rally in the capitol, Olympia, last Sunday to voice opposition to Governor Jay Inslee’s ban on gatherings and closing down of all non-essential businesses. One rally organizer stated, “Shutting down businesses by picking winners and losers… are violations of the state and federal constitution.”
- Also last Sunday, in Denver, hundreds came together to demand Governor Jared Polis end the shutdown. Among signs held up by protestors were “End the virus, not the economy,” “Fear is the real virus,” and “Go to China if you want communism.” Confrontations broke out between protestors in cars and health care workers out on the streets in a counter-protest.
Protests also occurred outside state capitals in Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Minnesota, Maryland, New Hampshire, Idaho, California, and New York.
Responding to the growing unrest around the country, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, said in an interview that any re-opening the economy now or the very near future would “backfire.”
TRENDPOST: Believing in their political leaders and ignoring the hard facts and statistical data, the vast majority of Americans continue to support stay-at-home orders and the continued shutdown of most businesses.
On Monday, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll showed that 60 percent of Americans oppose the protests while 22 percent are in favor and 18 percent said they were unsure.