Conservative Michiganders filled the streets outside the Capitol this week, risking extending quarantine in order to protest the quarantine.
LANSING, MI — Thousands gathered outside the capitol Wednesday to protest the extended and expanded stay-at-home order Gov. Whitmer.issued as a response to coronavirus. Protestors demanded access to things prohibited under that order like flower seeds for gardening.
The irony is that the protests’ refusal to engage in pandemic best practices might actually further extend the order they were there to protest to begin with.
While many of the 3,000 to 4,000 protesters remained in their vehicles, a significant number protested in close quarters on the lawn, risking spreading the virus to one another, to essential frontline workers and to children.
“I saw someone handing out candy to little kids barehanded,” Whitmer told reporters. “People are flying the Confederate flag, and untold numbers who gassed up on the way here or grabbed a bite on the way home. We know that this rally endangered people. This kind of activity will put more people at risk and, sadly, it could prolong the amount of time we have to be in this posture.”
READ MORE: Why Conservatives Are Mad Gov. Whitmer Is Trying to Save Lives
In an interview, one protester admitted to the Associated Press that she knew people were dying, even people she knew, but lamented the lack of ability to buy paint. Other protesters complained about lack of access to hairdressers according to the Guardian.
The ‘Gander reported 319 Michiganders died over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday.
The protest outbreak was focused on the pandemic, but wasn’t limited by it. As Whitmer indicated, some protestors had Confederate flags with assault-style rifles emblazoned on them. A chant either invoking Trump campaign rhetoric as a symbol or genuinely calling for the arrest of Michigan’s governor — “LOCK HER UP”— filled Lansing. The titular traffic disruption of the protest event called “Operation Gridlock” blocked ambulance traffic.
“This dumb stunt today probably means we’ll all be home an extra month now,” tweeted Michigan Advance’s Susan Demas.
Protesters carried signs saying Michiganders felt like prisoners, accused Whitmer of abusing power, shouted about the economy and inconveniences of quarantine. At the same time, almost 30,000 Michiganders have confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
RELATED: Michigan Coronavirus Deaths Steadily Rising Again This Week
Deadline Detroit reports on a viral video from Chelsea Barrera, an employee of nearby Sparrow Hospital which showed vehicles besieging the hospital, blocking entrances and exits.
“You have the right to express your freedom of speech,” she wrote, “but what you DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT to do is block the entrance/exit of a level 1 trauma hospital or delay the response time for paramedics to get to people due to backed up traffic or your unwillingness to move your car over in order for them to get through.”
“While you’re honking your horns, yelling and protesting, YOU are putting people at risk. YOU are making it impossible for EMS to get to LIFE AND DEATH situations. YOU are disturbing the peace of people who are already admitted to the hospital. YOU are Preventing health care workers to swiftly respond to cardiac arrests etc. Stay home. Save a life.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Deborah Creque holds flags on her vehicle during a protest in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 
Protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 
Dawn Perreca protests on the front steps of the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 
Children pose for a photograph during a protest at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 
Protesters attend a rally outside the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 
Protesters stand on the steps of the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 
Chris Schornak walks past gridlocked vehicles during a protest in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 
Steve Polet holds a sign during a protest at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 
Protesters stand on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 
A passenger in a vehicle holds a sign during a protest at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Katelyn Kivel is a politics, policy and law journalist from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She studied political science at Western Michigan University and has been published in multiple national and international outlets.
