Hundreds Protest At Capitol In Sacramento Against Stay-At-Home Order
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of protesters rallied outside the state Capitol on Saturday to protest against California's stay-at-home orders even as residents entered the Memorial Day weekend with newly expanded options for beachgoing, barbecuing and shopping.
The rally to demand that Gov. Gavin Newsom lift his restrictions on business, religious gatherings and other activities took on the atmosphere of a political rally and festival on a closed-off street.
California Highway Patrol officers closed the Capitol lawn to demonstrators, so speakers addressed the crowd from the back of a flatbed truck as an airplane flew above towing a banner with a picture of Newsom and the words "End his tyranny!" Protesters waved dozens of flags and signs, many in support of President Donald Trump.
A protester at the Capitol on Saturday, May 23, 2020, holds a sign reading "This Is Not China."
Few people wore masks and there was little room for social distancing on the sidewalk or closed-off street.
"The mental and emotional impact cannot even be fathomed," said Nita Brady, 68, of Modesto, who added that she was angry that two of her granddaughters missed their middle school and high school graduations.
"I think it's absolutely ludicrous to shut down the schools and especially for the length that they did," she said.
Stay-at-home restrictions eased across much of the state. Some 45 of 58 counties have received permission to reopen most stores — at least for curbside pickups — and many public spaces by meeting state standards for controlling the coronavirus.
Some saw it as a safety test as the state prepared to celebrate its first major holiday weekend since a statewide order in mid-March clamped down on all but essential trips and businesses.
Social distancing practices have been cited as the main reason rates of deaths and hospitalizations have slowed in many counties, and people were urged to keep their masks on and their guard up while enjoying recently reopened bike paths, hiking trails and beaches.