Marina Reavis
Staff Reporter
As cases rise, the coronavirus continues to dominate the lives of Americans. Many states remain under government mandated lockdowns to wait out the virus’s effects, while numerous people lose their jobs. So, what happens when they lose patience?
Anti-quarantine protests may seem like a sudden move, but they have been growing for a while. With slow building tension and frustration, these protestors see the quarantine as an infringement on the constitutional rights. Social media serves as a virtual meeting place for them to voice their demands to a bigger audience. For example, Facebook has recently taken down several anti-lockdown pages and posts promoting anti-quarantine. According to rueters.com, Facebook Spokesman Andy Stone says, “... events that defy government’s guidance on social distancing aren’t allowed on Facebook.” Facebook does, however, allow the posting of non-prohibited actions to ensure they do not withhold the freedom of speech.
One defining characteristic of this protest, is the peoples’ disapproval with the way the political leaders are handling the pandemic. According to vox.com, “Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe President Donald Trump acted too slowly in responding to the coronavirus in the United States.” On top of that, 43% of republicans living in the hardest hit areas of the US also agree that President Trump should have moved faster in dealing with the virus, said vox.com.
But how has Arizona handled this push against the lockdown? Governor Doug Ducey announced that the state lockdown would be lifted on May 16th, but there was still backlash from civilians before this date came out. The Lockdown only lasted for about a month and a half, but there were multiple organized protests including, “reopen Arizona”, “Patriots’ Day Rally”, and “Operation Gridlock Arizona” to name a few.
The same can be said about the opposite side. In recent dates, there have been medical professionals who have gone out to counter the anti-quarantine protest. Abcnews.go.com has a picture of Erich and Kristin Bruhn from Virginia holding signs that say, “You have no right to put us all at risk, Go Home!” Despite the lockdown rising, there is expected to be continual tension between the two sides.
Image Credit: Chris Slupski on Unsplash
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