{"id":12903,"date":"2020-05-01T08:19:12","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T12:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=12903"},"modified":"2020-05-01T08:30:45","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01T12:30:45","slug":"armed-patriots-converge-on-michigan-state-capitol-blast-governor-as-hitler-demand-reopening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=12903","title":{"rendered":"Armed Patriots Converge on Michigan State Capitol, Blast Governor as &#8216;Hitler&#8217;, Demand Reopening"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Armed protesters demonstrate against Covid-19 lockdown at Michigan capitol<\/h1>\n<p><!--more-->The Guardian<\/p>\n<header class=\"content__head content__head--article tonal__head tonal__head--tone-news\">\n<div class=\"content__headline-standfirst-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"tonal__standfirst u-cf\">\n<div class=\"content__standfirst\" data-link-name=\"standfirst\" data-component=\"standfirst\">\n<h4><strong>Police and capitol staff held back protesters \u2013 some armed with rifles \u2013 attempting to enter floor of legislative chamber<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Armed protesters enter Michigan&#039;s state capitol demanding end to coronavirus lockdown\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zXXFf0Q2bcU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"media-primary\">\n<figure class=\"element element-atom element-atom--main-media element-atom--media\" data-atom-id=\"517acb50-d7a2-4c3d-87b3-6c6adde69b2f\" data-atom-type=\"media\"><figcaption class=\"caption caption--main caption--video\"><span class=\"inline-triangle inline-icon \">\u00a0<\/span>Armed protesters enter Michigan&#8217;s state capitol demanding end to coronavirus lockdown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"content__article-body from-content-api js-article__body\" data-test-id=\"article-review-body\">\n<p>Hundreds of protesters, some armed, gathered inside Michigan\u2019s state capitol on Thursday as state lawmakers debated the Democratic governor\u2019s request to extend her emergency powers to combat coronavirus.<\/p>\n<p>A tightly packed crowd of protesters, some carrying rifles, attempted to enter the floor of the legislative chamber, and were held back by a line of state police and capitol staff, according to video footage posted by local journalists.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet us in! Let us in!\u201d the protesters chanted, as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder inside the statehouse. Few of them were wearing face masks.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the protesters shouted anti-government slogans, including comparing the state\u2019s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, to Hitler.<\/p>\n<p>One Democratic state lawmaker posted a photograph of men with rifles standing in a gallery yelling down at lawmakers below. \u201cSome of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them,\u201d the state senator Dayna Polehanki wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/mileg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#mileg<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/voOZpPYWOs\">pic.twitter.com\/voOZpPYWOs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Senator Dayna Polehanki (@SenPolehanki) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenPolehanki\/status\/1255899318210314241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>One protest sign outside the statehouse on Thursday read: \u201cTyrants get the rope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thursday\u2019s protest in Lansing, Michigan\u2019s capital, was much smaller than the 15 April \u201c<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2020\/apr\/16\/michigan-protest-coronavirus-rightwing-support\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Operation Gridlock<\/a>\u201d protest when supporters of Donald Trump organized thousands of people to publicly demonstrate against what they said was the overreach of Whitmer\u2019s strict stay-at-home order.<\/p>\n<p>Many people at Thursday\u2019s \u201cAmerican Patriot Rally\u201d, including militia group members carrying firearms and people with pro-Trump signs, appeared to be ignoring state social-distancing guidelines.<\/p>\n<p>Members of the Michigan Liberty Militia were at the protest, armed with guns, and one member said that the group was there as a \u201csecurity detail\u201d for the event organizers,\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=http%3A%2F%2FMLive.com\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">MLive.com<\/a><a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlive.com%2Fpublic-interest%2F2020%2F04%2Fprotesters-brave-the-rain-to-send-message-to-michigan-leaders-as-coronavirus-state-of-emergency-debate-rages.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">\u00a0reported<\/a>. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors American extremist organizations, includes a \u201c<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.splcenter.org%2Ffighting-hate%2Fextremist-files%2Fideology%2Fantigovernment\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Michigan Liberty Militia<\/a>\u201d among its list of extreme antigovernment groups.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A sign currently on the lawn: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sPqeCfVUQ0\">pic.twitter.com\/sPqeCfVUQ0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Craig Mauger (@CraigDMauger) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CraigDMauger\/status\/1255864000891494400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Police allowed several hundred protesters to peacefully enter the capitol building around 1pm, where they crammed shoulder-to-shoulder near the entrance to legislative chambers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Protest moves inside Michigan Capitol. Crowd attempts to get onto Hoise floor. Lots of Michigan State Police and House sergeants at arms blocking door. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4FNQpimP4W\">pic.twitter.com\/4FNQpimP4W<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rod Meloni (@RodMeloni) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RodMeloni\/status\/1255901755474403328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">At the MI Capitol <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IuYoBhstIg\">pic.twitter.com\/IuYoBhstIg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Anna Liz Nichols (@annaliznichols) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/annaliznichols\/status\/1255899730888011777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The slow reopening of state economies around the country has taken on political overtones, as Republican politicians and individuals affiliated with Trump\u2019s re-election promoted such protests in electoral swing states, such as <a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/michigan\" data-link-name=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Michigan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>State legislative approval of Whitmer\u2019s state of emergency declaration, which gives her special executive powers, was set to expire after Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__article-body from-content-api js-article__body\" data-test-id=\"article-review-body\">\n<p>Late in the day, the Republican-led legislature refused to extend the state\u2019s coronavirus emergency declaration and voted to authorize a lawsuit challenging Whitmer\u2019s authority and actions.<\/p>\n<p>The governor, unfazed, responded with orders stating that an emergency still exists, while declaring new 28-day states of emergency and disaster.<\/p>\n<p>The declaration is the foundation for Whitmer\u2019s stay-at-home measure, which will remain in effect through 15 May, and other directives aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer accused GOP lawmakers of \u201cputting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk. I\u2019m not going to let that happen\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGovernor Whitmer, and our state legislature, it\u2019s over with. Open this state,\u201d Mike Detmer, a Republican US congressional candidate, told the crowd. \u201cLet\u2019s get businesses back open again. Let\u2019s make sure there are jobs to go back to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>People had their temperature taken by police as they entered. Inside, they sang the national anthem and chanted: \u201cLet us work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Police made only one arrest at the protest, Lt Brian Oleksyk, a Michigan state police spokesman, said. A 35-year-old male protester was arrested for assaulting another protester outside of the capitol building. While there was \u201ca little bit of pushing\u201d by protesters inside the building, Oleksyk said, \u201cafter verbally protesting for an hour, things calmed down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Michigan\u2019s state senate minority leader, a Democrat, said the protesters had threatened Capitol police staff, press and lawmakers. \u201cThis protest wasn\u2019t about the stay-at-home order, it was an opportunity for a small group of folks \u2013 very few of whom were engaging in social distancing or wearing masks \u2013 to show off their swastika posters, confederate flags, nooses hanging from cars and signs calling for murder,\u201d said Jim Ananich, a Democrat who represents the city of Flint, in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>A spokeswoman for the Michigan senate minority leader confirmed that at least one lawmaker on Thursday \u201cchose to wear a bullet-proof vest\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>It is legal to openly carry firearms inside Michigan\u2019s state capitol building.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"img-1\" class=\"element element-image img--landscape fig--narrow-caption fig--has-shares \" data-component=\"image\" data-media-id=\"ccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c\">\n<div class=\"u-responsive-ratio\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c\/0_518_3500_2101\/master\/3500.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=ecd9f1084a9ba3cf59e2890440140086 1240w\" media=\"(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c\/0_518_3500_2101\/master\/3500.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=fca0628081d8e5cb72336c008783d95c 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 660px)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c\/0_518_3500_2101\/master\/3500.jpg?width=605&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=8eef99e3b4e7b697657431ea3b4a37b8 1210w\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"605px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c\/0_518_3500_2101\/master\/3500.jpg?width=605&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=7973f9513a1f0cc751782152b6a5aae4 605w\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" sizes=\"605px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c\/0_518_3500_2101\/master\/3500.jpg?width=445&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=30853eb0ed224cfccf723dc8ea800a7b 890w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 0px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"445px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c\/0_518_3500_2101\/master\/3500.jpg?width=445&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=ae04dcea4782569a342b2eedfebe9ff0 445w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" sizes=\"445px\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gu-image\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c\/0_518_3500_2101\/master\/3500.jpg?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=fcaaffe2293ecbe5bc7d2e0a8d419990\" alt=\"A militia group stands in front of the governors office.\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"block-share block-share--article hide-on-mobile \" data-link-name=\"block share\"><a class=\"rounded-icon block-share__item block-share__item--facebook js-blockshare-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/share?app_id=180444840287&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2020%2Fapr%2F30%2Fmichigan-protests-coronavirus-lockdown-armed-capitol%3FCMP%3Dshare_btn_fb%26page%3Dwith%3Aimg-1%23img-1&amp;picture=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.guim.co.uk%2Fccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c%2F0_518_3500_2101%2F3500.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-name=\"social facebook\"><span class=\"u-h\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"rounded-icon block-share__item block-share__item--twitter js-blockshare-link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Armed%20protesters%20demonstrate%20against%20Covid-19%20lockdown%20at%20Michigan%20capitol&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2020%2Fapr%2F30%2Fmichigan-protests-coronavirus-lockdown-armed-capitol%3FCMP%3Dshare_btn_tw%26page%3Dwith%3Aimg-1%23img-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-name=\"social twitter\"><span class=\"u-h\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"rounded-icon block-share__item block-share__item--pinterest js-blockshare-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?description=Armed%20protesters%20demonstrate%20against%20Covid-19%20lockdown%20at%20Michigan%20capitol&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2020%2Fapr%2F30%2Fmichigan-protests-coronavirus-lockdown-armed-capitol%3Fpage%3Dwith%3Aimg-1%23img-1&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.guim.co.uk%2Fccfd25d3aeb52516bc3048b9b0b0a73150a6c52c%2F0_518_3500_2101%2F3500.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-name=\"social pinterest\"><span class=\"u-h\">Pinterest<\/span><\/a><\/div><figcaption class=\"caption caption--img caption caption--img\">A militia group stands in front of the governors office. Photograph: Seth Herald\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Other speakers at the event, which had different organizers than the Operation Gridlock protest, questioned the deadliness of Covid-19. They also said Whitmer\u2019s stay-at-home order violated constitutional rights, and urged people to open their businesses on 1 May in disregard of her order.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlive.com%2Fpublic-interest%2F2020%2F04%2Fprotest-over-michigans-state-of-emergency-to-go-on-despite-facebook-removing-2-events.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Local news outlets reported<\/a>\u00a0that Facebook had repeatedly taken down event listings advertising Thursday\u2019s capitol protest. \u201cEvents that defy government\u2019s guidance on social distancing aren\u2019t allowed on Facebook,\u201d a Facebook spokesperson said, confirming the removal.<\/p>\n<p>The mayor of Lansing, Andy Schor, said in a statement on Wednesday that he was \u201cdisappointed\u201d protesters would put themselves and others at risk, but recognized that Whitmer\u2019s order still allowed people to \u201cexercise their first amendment right to freedom of speech\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer has acknowledged that her order was the strictest in the country, but she defended it as necessary as Michigan became one of the states hardest hit by the virus, having already claimed 3,789 lives there.<\/p>\n<p>Protesters, many from more rural, Trump-leaning parts of Michigan, have argued it has crippled the economy statewide even as the majority of deaths from the virus are centered on the south-eastern Detroit metro area. Many states, including Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Ohio, have already moved to restart parts of their economies following weeks of mandatory lockdowns.<\/p>\n<p><em>Agencies contributed to this report<\/em><\/p>\n<p>___<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2020\/apr\/30\/michigan-protests-coronavirus-lockdown-armed-capitol\">https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2020\/apr\/30\/michigan-protests-coronavirus-lockdown-armed-capitol<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Armed protesters demonstrate against Covid-19 lockdown at Michigan capitol<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12903\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}