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In a fit demonstrating obedience and rebellion all at once, President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters complied with demands from America’s chief executive to “liberate” states by defying shelter-in-place orders and protesting for an end to social distancing norms and restarting the national economy.
From Huntington Beach to South Florida and several states in between, protesters gathered and risked contracting COVID-19 (and the wellbeing of others who are vulnerable to the illness) to support lifting restrictions that have shuttered businesses and encouraged people to self-isolate at home and stand at least 6 feet apart in public.
Health officials, backed by state and local leaders, countered that stay-at-home orders have helped flatten the curve of coronavirus infections and saved lives. In Denver, two healthcare workers in scrubs and face masks stood in opposition to the protesters and blocked a caravan of protesters carrying out the mobile end of what’s being called Operation Gridlock.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom was steadfast in his rejection of the protesters’ demands to “end the lockdown,” saying he “deeply understands people’s anxieties” but that the state must have a “health-first focus if we’re ultimately going to come back economically.” The California Highway Patrol then banned the rallies temporarily, a change in policy that came after hundreds of protesters gathered on the Capitol grounds in Sacramento, many without wearing masks or following recommendations to remain more than 6 feet apart.
“The worst decision we can make is making a precipitous decision based on politics and frustration,” Newsom added. “That puts people’s lives at risk and ultimately sets back the cause of economic growth and economic recovery.”
Though the White House presented its own suggested guidelines for “reopening” states, Trump delegated the decision to individual governors in a televised news conference in spite of calling for supporters to “liberate” states such as Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia on Twitter.
Larry Gerston, a public policy professor emeritus at San Jose State University, said that how and when governors decide to lift their stay-at-home orders will “probably be a political decision.”
“I think we’ve seen some governors give in and others stay strong so far,” he said. “And it will be an interesting — and hopefully not costly — experiment to see what happens in the states that go ahead and loosen the restraints sooner than others.
“Although we’re not at war fighting a physical enemy, it certainly is a war of all our values being on the line.”
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