“There is nothing more American than people coming together and petitioning their government and ensuring their voices are heard, and that’s what we’re seeing here today," he said. He’s been a vocal critic of Whitmer’s latest order, and said the protest was “a simple exercise of Constitutional rights”- although he encouraged people to do so while properly socially distancing. House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, was at the Capitol Wednesday and witnessed the proceedings, and later posted a video of himself waving a flag in support on Twitter. Vanderwerff said she’s taking personal precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19, but is concerned that Michigan’s stay-at-home measures are too extreme. “It seems like she’s not listening to petitions and calls and emails, she’s not getting how many small businesses that this really is affecting and hurting,” she said. She said she felt it was important to show up in person because the governor is taking away jobs, hobbies and other means of activity that could be done safely and help people who are struggling with their mental health. She is also trained as a pet groomer, and carried a sign on the Capitol lawn asking for the ability to do curbside pet grooming during the stay-at-home order. Shelly Vanderwerff of Zeeland, one of the participants in the protest, is currently laid off from her job at a local greenhouse. This kind of activity will put more people at risk and sadly, it could prolong the amount of time that we have to be in this posture.” “We know that this rally endangered people. “I was really disappointed to see people congregating and not wearing masks," Whitmer said during a press conference Wednesday. But she expressed concern about the people who ignored social distancing guidelines while doing so. Whitmer said in a press briefing Wednesday she understood why people were protesting. “We know that Michigan is better than the lack of compassion we saw in Lansing today and in the coming days we will work with our partners on an effort to mobilize Michiganians to support our frontline workers.” “Beyond the right to protest, which we all agree is important, we know many Michiganders were disappointed by the actions of a vocal few," he said. Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, said the protest showed “selfishness, a lack of empathy and disregard for human life.” “They desperately want to work, they want to control their own destiny, and this place just exploded with thousands and thousands more people than I ever thought.”Ĭritics said the event endangered lives and shouldn’t be construed as the opinion of all Michigan residents. “It wasn’t me that did it, it was just the consciousness of Michigan people,” he said. In the end, police estimated somewhere between 3-4,000 people were in downtown Lansing at the protest’s peak, either in their cars or on the ground. The “Operation Gridlock” Facebook event they created snowballed from there.ĭiMaggio said he thought a few hundred people might show up to drive around the Capitol building. Matt Maddock about the idea, he was connected to the Michigan Conservative Coalition. But his business has been suffering under the order, and after he contacted state Rep. The manufacturing jeweler and jewelry designer said he’s never been involved in planning a political protest before. The concept was initially proposed by Birmingham resident Anthony DiMaggio, who said he had no idea it would get so big. Whitmer’s stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan Capitol Some participants also displayed Confederate flags, which were widely criticized on social media. One sign asked Trump to “lock up the Nazi woman in Michigan,” and at one point, a “Lock Her Up” chant started from the Capitol steps. The protest had a political edge - many who participated held signs and waved flags in support of President Donald Trump. Participants were encouraged to stay in their cars, but a crowd began gathering on the Capitol lawn by 10 a.m., and many were not wearing masks or following social distancing guidelines recommended by the CDC. Protesters began circling the Capitol Wednesday morning, and the action didn’t cease until nearly 6 p.m. But an extension of the order that included additional restrictions on business and individual activity was widely panned by Republican lawmakers and conservatives, who felt the order went too far and didn’t take into account businesses that could operate safely. Initially, the stay-at-home order didn’t get much pushback. Whitmer and Chief Medical Executive Joneigh Khaldun have said the ongoing stay-at-home order is essential to prevent more deaths in Michigan.
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