They also said Whitmer’s stay-at-home order violated constitutional rights, and urged people to open their businesses on 1 May in disregard of her order. Other speakers at the event, which had different organizers than the Operation Gridlock protest, questioned the deadliness of Covid-19. It is legal to openly carry firearms inside Michigan’s state capitol building.Ī militia group stands in front of the governors office. “This protest wasn’t about the stay-at-home order, it was an opportunity for a small group of folks – very few of whom were engaging in social distancing or wearing masks – to show off their swastika posters, confederate flags, nooses hanging from cars and signs calling for murder,” said Jim Ananich, a Democrat who represents the city of Flint, in a statement.Ī spokeswoman for the Michigan senate minority leader confirmed that at least one lawmaker on Thursday “chose to wear a bullet-proof vest”.
Michigan’s state senate minority leader, a Democrat, said the protesters had threatened Capitol police staff, press and lawmakers. While there was “a little bit of pushing” by protesters inside the building, Oleksyk said, “after verbally protesting for an hour, things calmed down.” A 35-year-old male protester was arrested for assaulting another protester outside of the capitol building. Police made only one arrest at the protest, Lt Brian Oleksyk, a Michigan state police spokesman, said. Inside, they sang the national anthem and chanted: “Let us work.” People had their temperature taken by police as they entered. Let’s make sure there are jobs to go back to.” Open this state,” Mike Detmer, a Republican US congressional candidate, told the crowd. “Governor Whitmer, and our state legislature, it’s over with. Whitmer accused GOP lawmakers of “putting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors American extremist organizations, includes a “ Michigan Liberty Militia” among its list of extreme antigovernment groups.Ġ4:42 Who is driving the US protests against coronavirus lockdown? – video explainer Members of the Michigan Liberty Militia were at the protest, armed with guns, and one member said that the group was there as a “security detail” for the event organizers, reported. Many people at Thursday’s “American Patriot Rally”, including militia group members carrying firearms and people with pro-Trump signs, appeared to be ignoring state social-distancing guidelines.
Thursday’s protest in Lansing, Michigan’s capital, was much smaller than the 15 April “ Operation Gridlock” protest when supporters of Donald Trump organized thousands of people to publicly demonstrate against what they said was the overreach of Whitmer’s strict stay-at-home order. One protest sign outside the statehouse on Thursday read: “Tyrants get the rope.” #mileg /voOZpPYWOs- Senator Dayna Polehanki April 30, 2020 I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us.
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