PHOENIX — Protesters rallied at the Arizona State Capitol Sunday morning, calling on state leaders to reopen the economy.
The group, called Operation Gridlock Arizona, organized the demonstration in recent days through a Facebook event page.
Rally to re-open Arizona happening now with hundreds of cars honking. @abc15 #Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/ZRoSGSdzgD
— Adam Waltz (@Adam_Waltz) April 19, 2020
Similar rallies have been taking place across the U.S., including in Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, and Nevada.
The protesters say states must reopen and allow people to get back to work after being ordered to shelter in place due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Arizona group had asked for people to drive around the Capitol in downtown Phoenix near 17th Avenue and Adams Street to create a “gridlock.”
The Facebook post requested that demonstrators remain in their vehicles as they rallied at the Capitol.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said he had the authority to force states to relax social distancing guidelines in order to re-open the U.S. economy. However, on Thursday, Trump said he would leave it to state governors to decide when they felt it would be appropriate to relax social distancing guidelines.
On Friday, Trump appeared to back those protesting social distancing orders by tweeting a series of messages calling for the “liberation” of states whose Democratic governors extended stay-at-home orders.
