![]() ![]() Maddock said the rising curve of COVID-19 infections has already been flattened, and that it is time to get Michigan back to work and recreation, especially in areas of the state that have been less hard-hit. "All of these people still have to go home to the sober reality that they don't have income coming in," Maddock said. Meshawn Maddock, a board member of the Michigan Conservative Coalition, the nonprofit group that organized the protest, said the demonstration should send a strong message to the governor that it is time to allow Michiganders to return to work, in cases where they can do so safely. More: Whitmer says protests against stay home order OK, but takes a shot at DeVos family involvement More: Whitmer's new stay home order blasted by critics for lack of consistency "There is no question the governor's order and response by Michiganders has slowed the spread of COVID-19," Henry Ford Allegiance Health CEO Paula Autry said in one of those statements. Zack Pohl, Whitmer's communications director, tweeted a series of supportive statements Wednesday from health care professionals. "Please do not make it look like the entire state believes what this handful of. Mary Ducker, a retired registered nurse who lives in Ypsilanti, said she was disgusted by the protest. Heyboer later said he feels very strongly about the stay-home order but wished he had chosen different words to express that.ĭespite the large protest, many Michigan residents have voiced support for the stay-home order, and compliance has been strong. "I'd rather die from the coronavirus than see a generational company be gone." "This is our busiest time of year," said Heyboer, who drove to Lansing for the demonstration dubbed "Operation Gridlock" because organizers said they wanted to gain attention by tying up traffic. View Gallery: Vehicle protests at Michigan Capitol over Gov. The company does landscaping, has greenhouses, hosts weddings and has a liquor license, he said. ![]() Justin Heyboer of Alto, an owner of Wildwood Family Farms, said his family has been in business for four generations and the order is financially crippling on several fronts. Traffic began to slowly flow again about 1:30 p.m., though tie-ups continued in spots, and many vehicles were still headed in the direction of the Capitol. However, there were concerns about ambulances being tied up or potentially delayed on their way to the hospital, he said. “So far, they have not disrupted things, as far as I’ve been told," Foren said early Wednesday afternoon, referencing entrances to the hospital on Michigan. John Foren, a spokesman for Sparrow Health System, said there had been no issues with ambulances being unable to access the hospital entrances. The traffic jam extended east on Michigan Avenue from the Capitol to beyond Pennsylvania Avenue, with idling cars lined up in front of a Sparrow Health System hospital. More: Protesters gather outside Capitol over Beshear's handling of COVID-19, disrupting briefingĪccording to photographs posted on social media and other reports, at least one ambulance was brought to a stop in traffic on Grand Avenue, close to a nearby Lansing hospital. Though demonstrators appeared to want to keep one lane of Capitol Avenue open for a brief time, all lanes of both that major street and Allegan Avenue were mostly at a standstill. Many of the demonstrators wore hats or waved signs showing support for Republican President Donald Trump. A demonstrator was arrested on suspicion of assaulting another protester near the corner of Capitol and Michigan, Green said. The Michigan State Police and the Lansing Police Department had reported one arrest by 3 p.m. Most of the police officers around the demonstration were also not wearing masks. Still, many on the sidewalks were passing close to each other, and most were not wearing masks. "They’re being respectful and not causing any issues at all," Green said. Green said traffic was backed up for more than a mile around the Capitol in several directions. Darren Green of the Michigan State Police estimated several thousand cars were part of the demonstration, with 100 to 150 people on the Capitol lawn. Organizers said they expected thousands of vehicles, and those projections appeared accurate. ![]() Replay: Vehicle protests at Michigan Capitol over Gov. "Security without liberty is called prison," read another, stretched across the Capitol's front lawn. "Liberty once lost is lost forever," read a sign draped across a commercial van. ![]() Police watched as horns honked and commercial and private vehicles from around the state jammed Capitol Avenue and other streets surrounding Michigan's seat of government. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order intended to fight the coronavirus pandemic. LANSING - Demonstrators drove thousands of vehicles - many draped with protest signs - to Michigan's state Capitol on Wednesday, loudly protesting Gov. Watch Video: Vehicle protests at Michigan Capitol over Gov. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |