“Operation Gridlock” kicked off at noon in downtown Lansing with what appeared to be a huge number of participants in vehicles honking horns, waving American flags and circling the capitol building.
Organized by groups including the Michigan Conservative Coalition, the demonstration jammed the streets around the capitol building. Many of the protesters, including some wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats and T-shirts supporting President Donald Trump, also displayed signs reading “Impeach Whitmer” and “My Freedom is Essential.”
While organizers asked demonstrators to stay in their cars, many lined the sidewalk outside the capitol building, some wearing protective masks but many apparently defying social distancing recommendations of remaining 6 feet apart.
A group of men identifying themselves as members of the Michigan Liberty Militia walked up and down the sidewalk outside the capitol building carrying rifles.
Whitmer has imposed some of the strictest stay-at-home orders in the nation, including limiting the number of customers in essential stores to four for every 1,000 square feet; prohibiting employers from making employees come to work unless they are “necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations”; suggesting people limit the number of household members who are running errands; and banning all public and private gatherings outside homes.
During her public coronavirus briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Whitmer said she was “disappointed” to see people congregating and not wearing masks at the demonstration.
Meshawn Maddock, a member of the Michigan Conservative Coalition who helped organize the protest, said Whitmer has gone too far by banning motorboats; prohibiting travel to in-state vacation residences; forcing stores to close areas dedicated to carpeting and furniture; and declaring plant nurseries and garden centers non-essential businesses and landscapers non-essential workers. Whitmer also has warned of fines up to $1,000 for violating social distancing rules.
Michigan confirmed the state’s first case of coronavirus, or COVID-19, on March 11. As of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, more than 1,900 had died among more than 28,000 positive cases.
Maddock, whose husband is a Republican member of the Michigan Legislature, the chair of the 11th District Congressional District Republican Committee in Michigan, and co-founder of Michigan Trump Republicans, told ABC News that the demonstration had nothing to do with the politics of the first-term Democratic governor, who last week appeared on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s newly launched podcast, fueling speculation she’s on his shortlist for a running mate.
Source : Bill Hutchinson, “‘Operation Gridlock’: Convoy in Michigan’s capital protests stay-at-home orders”, ABC News, April 15, 2020.