'Reopen Maryland' Protest Planned In Annapolis Saturday
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- A group of Marylanders plan to protest in Annapolis Saturday to reopen the state after Gov. Larry Hogan put the state under "stay at home" order on March 30 due to the coronavirus.
The group, known as Reopen Maryland, plans to protest downtown around noon. They want the governor to reopen Maryland by May 1.
"We are the strongest country on the planet and have put a man on the moon, there is no compelling reason why we can't protect the sick and vulnerable and get our economy back to work," a Facebook event says.
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The group says more than 13,000 Marylanders want the state to "return to normalcy." They say thousands have signed a petition to reopen the state.
"Besides being a loss of jobs and vital tax revenue, a shuttered business is a shattered dream. We can preserve those dreams AND protect our citizens," said Spokesperson Caryn Abbott, of Pokomoke City, in a statement.
In a press conference earlier this week, Gov. Hogan said he was starting to make plans on the state's recovery post-coronavirus, however, he said the state;s COVID-19 numbers continue to rise and ordered people to start wearing masks while shopping and using public transit starting Saturday morning at 7 a.m.
Hogan attended a 3 p.m. call with President Donald Trump Thursday, where Trump outlined procedures for reopening states.
President Trump, in a call with governors Thursday, described frustrations other world leaders have shown about COVID-19 and appeared to blame China: "This could have been stopped at the source. It could have been stopped, and it should have stopped." CBS News obtained the audio pic.twitter.com/Dl8PqOLAtf
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 17, 2020
The President said governors will have the say in how fast to recover.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says protests can lead to extension of stay-at-home orders
"The shutdown is a broadly destructive solution to a problem that could be solved with far more targeted approaches," said Spokesperson Kelly Ulrich, of Glen Burnie. "Meanwhile, our most vulnerable citizens – children with special education needs, small business owners, people with mental health conditions, and Marylanders who live paycheck to paycheck are suffering in unimaginable ways."
The group would need to get a permit through the city of Annapolis to protest.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.