Thousands of cars lined up in front of Michigan’s state Capitol Wednesday in a demonstration to protest Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order, USA Today reports.
Commercial and private vehicles from around the state gathered as part of “Operation Gridlock” on Capitol Avenue and other streets surrounding Michigan’s seat of government in Lansing.
“Liberty once lost is lost forever,” read a sign draped across a commercial van. “Security without liberty is called prison,” read another, stretched across the Capitol’s front lawn. “Recall Whitmer,” a third sign said.
Whitmer said Wednesday she respects the right to protest but believes many of the protesters put themselves and others at risk of contracting coronavirus by violating her order.
“I was really disappointed to see people congregating and not wearing masks,” Whitmer said. She claims she saw one person “handing out candy with bare hands.”
“We know that this demonstration is going to come at a cost to people’s health,” Whitmer said. “When people gather that way without masks … that’s how COVID-19 spreads.
“The sad irony here is that … they don’t like being in this stay-at-home order and they may have just created the need to lengthen it, which is something we’re trying to avoid at all costs.”
Neither the Michigan State Police nor the Lansing Police Department had reported any arrests by 2 p.m local time.