![]() ![]() The New York Times and NPR have reported that FreedomWorks - which also has roots in the Tea Party movement - has been giving local protesters guidance on setting up websites and has been conducting polling around reopening the economy.Ībout two weeks ago the group’s base began getting frustrated with the no-end-in-sight restrictions, Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks tells TIME. They either would not participate because they’re high risk, or they would only go if they’re staying in their own car and then going back.”įreedomWorks, another member of the Save Our Country coalition, has also been providing guidance for some of the protesters and is also careful to draw a distinction between its work with the group and its own involvement in the demonstrations. “A lot of our supporters, they said they could go if it was in a car, but they couldn’t get out of the car because they know they would be considered high risk. Martin said feedback from “a few thousand” of her group’s members suggested they were eager to participate in protests, but also aware of the danger the virus poses. That awareness campaign involves sending out email blasts targeted by state, something it often does regularly, she says. “Tea Party Patriots Action, outside of this Save our Country coalition - separately - we are figuring out where the protests are happening and making sure our supporters are aware of them,” says Jenny Beth Martin, a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots. Both insisted that was independent of any of the coalition’s activity. At least two groups within the coalition are also providing guidance or promoting the protests. Moore says the Save Our Country coalition considered getting involved in the protests as a group, but ultimately decided not to “because we thought it would be a distraction” from the organization’s goals. … but MAGA hats just turn people off, and so you’re not persuading people.” “And look, I’m the biggest fan of the President there is. “And then not having things like MAGA hats, you know? Those aren’t helpful,” Moore says. (“I kind of lost touch with what they’re doing,” he added.) The advice he says he has been giving includes stressing non-violence, respecting health measures in place, and going out of their way to do things seen as constructive. But Moore says he has personally advised three groups from Ohio, Wisconsin, and Colorado, which he would not name, on how to approach protesting the stay-at-home orders. ![]() Trump, meanwhile, has launched a task force to come up with such plans and work alongside state leaders.Moore says “there’s no national group or national movement behind” the protests, which have so far taken place in more than a dozen states. In the northeast, seven states have banded together to come up with a regional plan for doing so, as have the three states along the Pacific coast. The Michigan brouhaha comes amid a larger national debate over how to reopen parts of the economy while keeping the outbreak at bay. Amid outrage over the shutdown of golf and gardening, Whitmer pointed to snow falling across Michigan Wednesday, adding that a "couple more weeks is not going to meaningfully impact people's ability to do so" because the weather was already playing its part. ![]() Speaking with NBC's "Today Show" on Wednesday, Whitmer said more robust testing is needed in her state before things can begin to be opened up. In a recent court filing, Whitmer acknowledged the right to protest amid the stay-at-home order. And I'm always going to defend your right to free speech." “If it makes you (feel) better to direct it at me, that's OK, too. The latest order was signed with the aim of curbing foot traffic in stores and preventing the outbreak focused in the state's southeastern corner from spreading quickly through the northern and more rural parts of the state, where the health system is not well equipped for a major outbreak. On Monday, Whitmer spent much of her news conference addressing the backlash, saying every action she's taking is centered on flattening the state's curve of infections. The pushback has been fanned by prominent national conservatives and elected leaders, and some misinformation about the order has circulated. The order contained several provisions that were unpopular with some Michiganders, such as barring in-state travel to vacation residences and a tightening of business restrictions that included large stores having to close areas "dedicated to carpeting, flooring, furniture, garden centers, plant nurseries, or paint." State Republican lawmakers said the order unnecessarily curtailed freedoms and harmed businesses.īut it was difficult to completely divorce the backlash from partisan politics, as Whitmer, a Democrat, had in recent weeks become a visible leader among the governors responding to the coronavirus outbreak, garnering attention from Joe Biden as a possible running mate and tangling with President Donald Trump. ![]()
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