Colorado healthcare workers block anti-lockdown demonstration by standing in front of protesters' cars
Some healthcare workers in Colorado have hit back at protestors in the state who are calling for an end to lockdown restrictions that have been put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
People in Colorado, like all other states in the US and several regions across the globe, are being advised to stay at home. In response to the lockdown protestors, two medics peacefully counter-protested by standing in the middle of the road to block oncoming vehicles.
The healthcare workers were dressed in scrubs and N95 masks as they blocked the procession of motorists who were blowing their horns outside the State Capitol building, hoping to put an end to the lockdown.
Photojournalist Alyson McClaren, who posted photos from the scene on Facebook, spoke to The New York Times. "They were blocking the roads until the police force stepped in," she said. "People were putting their cars right up against them."
Video footage from the incident shows a woman with an American flag peeking out of her car window and shouting at the healthcare workers. "Go to China if you want communism," she is heard saying. "You can go to work why can't I go to work?" However, the nurses seemed to turn a deaf ear to their calls and quietly stood in their way with their arms folded.
One of the protestors, who was holding up a sign that read "Trust the people," believes the statewide lockdown has gone on for far too long. "Pot shops are open, abortion clinics are open and my church is closed," Mary Conley of Jefferson County told The Denver Post. "Death is a part of life. And it's time to start living again," she added.
Meanwhile, Jim Fenimore of Colorado Springs said he believes the drastic response to the pandemic has been exploited as a political tool. According to him, the stay-at-home order is intended to make the economy crash and blame President Trump for the same, who would then lose support and subsequently lose his office. Fenimore noted how some small businesses he personally knew have been forced to shut down and will likely not reopen.
“Every day that goes by is hurting the state,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to see anyone die. But there are far more deaths for other reasons.”
Trump defended protestors in Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia once again Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Democratic governors of those states have reportedly been receiving constant death threats. “They have got cabin fever,” the president said, refuting claims that he was inciting violence by offering them support. “They want their life back. Their life was taken away from them.”
According to The Post, many of the protestors were wearing hats and t-shirts in support of Trump. And while some were seen wearing masks, most people appeared to flout social distancing guidelines intended to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The state of Colorado has so far reported 9,730 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus with 422 fatalities. Overall, the US has recorded 765,613 cases with 40,620 deaths as of Monday morning, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.