Protesters rally for reopened economy

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer implemented some of the strictest COVID-19 restrictions in the nation this week. The Democrat barred people from crossing the street to visit neighbors and closed landscaping businesses. Thousands of people swarmed Lansing, Mich., the state capital, to protest the new coronavirus rules on Wednesday.

What do the protesters want? Many, including those protesting in other states on Wednesday, expressed concern about the economic devastation from stay-at-home orders and shuttered businesses, demanding governors allow employees to go back to work. About 100 protesters gathered outside the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort, and cars displaying signs demanding a return to work drove by the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City.

Dig deeper: Read Steve West’s report in Liberties about the tension between stay-at-home orders and First Amendment freedoms.