DETROIT (Reuters) – As sweeping stay-at-home orders in 42 U.S. states to combat the coronavirus have shuttered businesses, disrupted lives and decimated the economy, protesters have begun taking to the streets to urge governors to rethink the restrictions.
A protestor carries a sign reading “We Will Not Comply” during a demonstration outside the Virginia State Capitol to protest Virginia’s stay-at-home order and business closures in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Richmond, Virginia, U.S., April 16, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
A few dozen protesters, many with young children, gathered in Virginia’s state capital of Richmond on Thursday in defiance of Democratic Governor Ralph Northam’s mandate, the latest in a series of demonstrations this week around the country.
On Wednesday, thousands of Michigan residents blocked traffic in Lansing, the state capital, while protesters in Kentucky disrupted Democratic Governor Andy Beshear’s afternoon news briefing on the pandemic, chanting “We want to work!”
States including Utah, North Carolina and Ohio also saw demonstrations this week, and more are planned fo