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Some in GOP skip chance to protest Wisconsin shutdown
MADISON, Wis. — The latest demonstration by right-wing groups against measures to contain the coronavirus came to Wisconsin on Friday, with hundreds of people ignoring social distancing recommendations and crowding together on the steps of the state Capitol to protest the Democratic governor’s stay-at-home order.
With the building closed, the protesters — some with banners supporting President Donald Trump — stood outside waving American flags or wearing them as masks and capes. Many carried signs criticizing Gov. Tony Evers and the stay-at-home order that closed most nonessential businesses until May 26.
“We think there’s been a major overstep in our rights by our governor,” said Paris Procopis, one of the protesters. “We’re here to send Governor Evers a message. The solution is going to be more harmful than the virus itself.”
Some protesters wore masks or bandannas in accordance with recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many did not.
Some health care workers staged a small counterprotest, with one woman holding a sign saying, “Please go home.”
The event was expected to be among the biggest of the protests that have popped up around the U.S. in recent days. But as with some earlier events, one group will be noticeably absent: the state’s most prominent Republicans.
That included Sen. Ron Johnson, a Trump ally, who was sheltering in place at home in Oshkosh about 90 miles from Madison.
“I’m neither encouraging nor discouraging them,” said Johnson, 65, whose career was launched by the tea party movement, a protest effort with ties to the current one.
Johnson’s ambivalence is shared by many Republicans as they warily watch the protests — with their images of gun-toting activists, the occasional Confederate flag and protesters wearing Trump hats but no masks. Six months from an election, the protests are forcing Republicans to reckon with a restless right flank advocating an unpopular opinion even as the party seeks to make gains with moderates, women and suburban voters.
Polls show the sentiment behind these groups is unpopular. A survey by The
Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found 12% of Americans say the measures in place where they live to prevent the spread of the coronavirus go too far, though Republicans are roughly four times as likely as Democrats to say so — 22% to 5%. The majority of Americans — 61% — feel the steps taken by officials in their area are about right.
Still, a network of conservative groups has activated to support the efforts — seizing on the anxiety and distrust that comes with a moment of turmoil. Conservative groups with national networks, including FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots, have pushed the “reopen” message on social media.
Friday’s rally was promoted by Thomas Leager, a prominent Wisconsin gun rights advocate. Those who are members of the Facebook group for the event or have advocated for rallying to reopen the state include Matt Batzel, executive director of the Wisconsin chapter for American Majority, a group that helps conservative candidates get elected; Christian Gomez, research project manager at the John Birch Society; and Stephen Moore, a former fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation.