Protesters gathered in streets and outside several state’s capitol buildings and demand an end to lockdown orders on Saturday.
This move comes after President Donald J. Trump posted a series of tweets encouraging anti-lockdown groups to “express their views.”
The demonstrations took place in Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin, and broke social-distancing rules.
Some demonstrators call the current situation a “tyranny, not quarantine” and brandished signs that say “Open Now” and “Shut Down the shutdown.”
One of the largest rallies took place in Austin, Texas, where around 300 people gathered and supported by Alex Jones, the man behind InfoWars – the website criticized for pushing conspiracy theories.
They chanted, “Let us work!” and “Fire Fauci,” while they shook hands and hugged at the protest, as they do not believe that there is a need to keep distance from each other.
Some are even disappointed by the scene, as one of the protesters said, “We thought it was going to be a lot bigger than this.”
Many of the protesters are concerned that they are unable to work due to business closures, as unemployment rose to 22 million in just one month.
On Friday, Trump tweeted, “LIBERATE MINNESOTA”, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN” and “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!”
The President told reporters that he felt “very comfortable” with his tweets, and said that the protesters “seem to be very responsible people to me, you know, they’ve been treated a little bit rough.”
Trump’s move to encourage protesters stay-at-home orders is inconsistent with his announcement on Thursday, when he said he would offer guidelines for reopening the country but would leave specific plans to the governors.
According to Vice President Mike Pence, “The guidelines that were issued were all about equipping our governors and their health officials with our very best recommendations, all the while assuring all of their citizens and the American people that we will continue to partner with our states to make sure that they have the equipment, the medical supplies and the testing to enter into that reopening plan in an orderly and safe way.”