Rally targets Holcomb, local COVID-19 orders
In Valparaiso, dozens push back on measures
About 60 maskless people, several carrying yellow “Don’t tread on me” flags, gathered outside the Porter County Administration Building Thursday afternoon to protest Gov. Eric Holcomb’s executive orders meant to slow the spread of COVID-19, as well as the stricter measures put into place by the Porter County health department.
Over the din of Christmas music coming from the city-owned skating rink across the street at Urschel Pavilion, one Valparaiso woman, who declined to give her name, carried a sign that said, “We will not stop standing for liberty.”
“I think that Americans have the right to have our businesses open. I don’t think it should be up to the health department. It’s not even an elected official,” she said, questioning why someone could shop at
Costco with “who knows how many people” but not attend church, a wedding or a funeral, or get on a plane but not go into a small business.
Dr. Maria Stamp, the county’s health officer, has kept the county in the “red” level for COVID-19 restrictions because of the number of cases here and on Dec. 4 announced new restrictions, which took effect Dec. 6, meant to stem the spread of the virus that has killed more than
300,000 Americans. The measures include limiting retail shop capacity to 50%; closing bars and restaurants at 11 p.m.; and limiting most indoor and outdoor gatherings to 25 people, with masks and social distancing.
Daniel Hudak put together the “civil disobedience rally” targeting the health department and organized Porter County Citizens for Living Liberty in late August. The group now has more than 250 members.
“I don’t agree with almost everything the governor is doing and the county decided to take it a step further and I think that is wrong, as well,” said Hudak, of Portage.
Speakers at the rally regularly referenced Holcomb, the Porter County Board of Commissioners and Stamp in their remarks, sometimes generating booing from the crowd.
County officials, contacted separately, said they stand behind both Holcomb’s executive order and the measures put in place by the county health depart
ment.
“Since Nov. 1, we have lost over 95 lives and the number of hospitalizations continue to range between 30 and 40 every day. As Po r t e r Count y P u b l i c Health Officer, I have an obligation to take measures that protect the lives and health of our citizens, consistent with Indiana law
and the governor’s executive orders,” Stamp said.
“I understand that these restrictions are difficult on everyone, but they beginning to work. We are starting to see some downward trends in new cases and positivity rates. If we all work together and continue along this path for the next few weeks, I am hopeful we
can start to dial back the restrictions as may be appropriate.”
Stamp also has the support of the Board of Commissioners.
“I fully support Dr. Stamp and Governor Holcomb in their efforts to reduce the spread of COVID. The goal has been and continues to be a healthy community where the health care system is not overwhelmed, schools are open and confident consumers are visiting our businesses,” said Commissioner Laura Blaney, DSouth.
Citizens Living Liberty United, an umbrella organization of sorts for each of the state’s independent 92 county groups, started up in June, said Tim Dyer, its executive director, “thanks to Gov. Holcomb and his executive orders. One was a direct result of the other.”
CLLU is incorporated as a nonprofit and is a nonpartisan organization, he said.
Pulling a blue mask out of his pocket, Dyer, who lives north of Indianapolis, said face masks are not the problem.
“The problem is accountability to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Indiana. The government is not in the business of making us follow their orders of anything that is not legislated into law,” he said.
In March, at the start of the pandemic, Holcomb had called an emergency session of the general assembly and established a committee to determine the will of the people, “we wouldn’t be here today,”
Dyer said.
Additionally, Dyer said that “if instead of causing a panic,” Holcomb had suggested people wore masks instead of mandating it, “we’d probably all be masked today.”
The purpose of CLLU and the county groups is to stop government overreach.
“We are peaceful. We call these rallies. We don’t call them protests. We rally for the rights of the American people, whether they know they’re losing them or not,” he said.
Jakob Dakich, of Dyer, a member of CLLU’s statewide board, told the crowd he’s a small-business owner who has been hurt by the mandates.
“You have a tyrannical health department that is trying to impose its will on your family and your business,” he said.
He said knows a lot of people who are suffering because of the mandates.
“The worst part of this is, it’s not even legal,” he said, encouraging the crowd to contact their state legislators. “If we don’t stop this, it’s only going to get worse.”