#Operation gridlock free

The groups called on people to circle their vehicles around the state capitol building in Lansing in order to create a traffic jam. Gretchen Whitmer's extended stay-at-home order designed to protect public health.ĭubbed 'Operation Gridlock,' the event was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund. The city's public transportation authority, however, released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying its dial-a-ride bus service was 'temporarily disrupted' due to the protest.As reporting Wednesday revealed an internal government document warning of 'a significant risk of resurgence' of the coronavirus even in a phased reopening scenario, right-wing activists in Michigan staged protests outside the state capitol to boldly defy Gov. A spokesman for the hospital located near the capitol told Crain's Detroit Business's Chad Livengood that the protest was not blocking the flow of ambulances in and out of the hospital, and Lansing mayor Andy Schor, a Democrat, told Detroit News's Craig Mauger that he had not heard of complaints from Lansing first responders about emergency vehicles being blocked. Public health officials downplayed the protest's effect on services. Gongwer News Service Michigan executive editor Zach Gorchow shared a photo of an ambulance impeded by traffic just before the protest's official start time. 'That's unfortunate, but sometimes freedom and liberty can be messy and despite the best intentions of the event's organizers, there's always going to be some who think they know better.'Ĭritics of Operation Gridlock also accused protesters of blocking emergency vehicles attempting to navigate the packed Lansing streets.

#Operation gridlock free

'Obviously, there's always going to be the unfortunate few who don't follow the instruction to remain in their vehicle,' Daunt told the Free Beacon. Tony Daunt, executive director of Operation Gridlock sponsor Michigan Freedom Fund, called the group 'bad actors.' Much of the group did not adhere to social distancing requirements and most were not wearing masks. Darren Green estimated that 100 to 150 people left their cars to gather on the capitol lawn. The governor said that while she 'understands the frustration people are feeling,' she was 'really disappointed to see people congregating and not wearing masks.' The protest's organizers instructed participants to remain in their vehicles, but state police Lt. Whitmer, whose office did not respond to a request for comment, criticized the protest in a Wednesday press conference held before the honking had subsided. 'So, we wanted to come down here and protest it.' 'We're just mad that we're out of work and … we don't like what she did,' Hunderman said. One protester, Kaleb Hunderman of Grand Rapids, told Traverse City-based UpNorthLive that he decided to join the protest after losing his job. Ponkowski's message was mirrored Wednesday by thousands of Michiganders. 'Landscapers, home builders-these people social distance by the nature of their work and they're outdoors. She needs to stop deciding for Michiganders what is an essential service and what is not,' Ponkowski said. 'There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to how makes her decisions. Residents have also questioned the practical inconsistencies of what are considered 'essential services'-the order, for example, bans landscaping services and shuts down local stores selling gardening seeds and paint, but allows for the sale of marijuana and lottery tickets.

Critics lamented the strain it put on struggling small businesses while granting exemptions to large corporations. The extended order sparked near-immediate fury. As Whitmer's profile rose, she ramped up restrictions, signing a new order on April 9 that banned in-state travel between residences and forcibly closed stores selling items she deemed 'nonessential.' Whitmer had earned bipartisan praise for her initial response to the pandemic-her first stay-at-home order issued March 23 was met with approval from state GOP leaders and earned the governor national praise, particularly as the Democrat entered a public feud with President Donald Trump. 'We just threw this together last Wednesday, thinking, 'We have to do something.' Within four hours, we had 300 people say they were attending and 2,000 people 'like' the event. I was so proud of how fast this event grew,' Ponkowski told the Washington Free Beacon. 'It was incredible for something we cooked up just a week ago. Rosanne Ponkowski, president of Michigan Conservative Coalition and one of the protest's organizers, called the turnout 'incredible.' She said state police estimated as many as 10,000 participants, despite the event's spontaneous launch on Facebook on April 8. The honking did not stop for another eight hours. The protest, labeled 'Operation Gridlock,' saw swarms of cars, trucks, construction vehicles, and even horses assemble in downtown Lansing as early as 9:00 a.m.