Protesters rally against stay-at-home orders

As President Donald Trump and some of his supporters push for a more rapid return to pre- coronavirus economic activity, protesters in several states took to the streets this week to urge governors to relax the strict rules on commerce, work and daily life that health officials have said are necessary to save lives.

In Michigan, thousands of demonstrators in cars jammed the streets around the state Capitol in Lansing, saying restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus were dooming small businesses. In Frankfort, Kentucky, dozens of people shouted through a Capitol building window, nearly drowning out Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, as he held a news conference. And in Raleigh, North Carolina, at least one woman was arrested during a protest that drew more than 100 people in opposition to a stay- at- home rule, The News & Observer reported.

More protests against stay- at-home orders have been planned in other states, including Texas, Oregon and California, as the economic and health effects of the coronavirus mount across the country.

In the last four weeks, more than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits. Still, public health experts warn that returning to normal behavior too soon — particularly with ongoing testing shortages — could exacerbate the spread of the virus, which has killed nearly 29,000 people in the United States so far.

At recent rallies in Ohio, New York and Michigan, many organizers and demonstrators, some who came armed, were aligned with anti- government activists on the right and libertarian groups.

Some had affiliations with the tea party and displayed the “Don’t Tread on Me” logo that was an unofficial slogan for the movement, and at least one protester in Michigan waved a Confederate flag with the image of a gun. Others waved banners in support of Trump, and protested Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, by chanting “Lock her up.”

Polls show most Americans support restrictions meant to combat the virus. But the size of the protest in Michigan, and the appetite in other states for more rallies, suggested that anger over the no-end-in-sight nature of the lockdowns was not limited to the far right, and that the public’s patience has a limit.

As anxiety, uncertainty and joblessness continue to grow, the next few weeks will pose a test for governors and local leaders who are likely to face increased pressure to loosen some of the restrictions.