“Under Siege” – Social Unrest Unfolds As Frustrated Americans Demand Reopening Of Economy
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Sat, 04/18/2020
We laid the groundwork for readers over the last three weeks that social instabilities could materialize during or after the pandemic. It has become clear that protests in Lansing, Michigan, on Thursday (April 16), was the beginning of the lockdown-backlash that is now unfolding across the country.
Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated with state governments that have closed their economies and issued strict stay-at-home public health orders, resulting in one of the worst economic crashes in the country’s history.
More than 22 million people have lost their jobs in a month, and the true extent of the crash won’t be realized until the second half of the year. The one thing we do know is the financial crash has been so severe that it has forced people to organize on social media to mobilize en mass at their respective state capitol buildings across the country, demanding their governors reopen the economy and return life to normal.
The lockdown-backlash sounds like a revolution is in the making. And, of course, every revolution has a song, and maybe this Nickelback song “Edge Of A Revolution,” already circulating on some pro-Trump feeds, could be it.
As for Saturday’s protests, Infowars’ Owen Shroyer is planning one at the Texas state capitol in Austin. The rally is called “You Can’t Close America,” which is directed at the Texas state government to put an end to the draconian measures that have confined people to their homes for nearly a month.
In Maryland, a protest organization known as Reopen Maryland is already underway in locking down streets around the state capitol building in Annapolis.
“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,” the Facebook event says.
The group has 13,000 members on Facebook. By Saturday afternoon, dozens of vehicles, presumably from the group, were shutting down streets.
Scene from #ReopenMaryland demonstration today. Lots of honking. Lots. @thedbk pic.twitter.com/0aQxgCXPE0
— Matt McDonald (@MattC_McDonald) April 18, 2020
Peaceful and CONSTITUTIONAL protest in Annapolis, MD. #1stAmendment #ReopenMaryland @FoxNews @realDonaldTrump @GovLarryHogan pic.twitter.com/DUQUQRwCCh
— kt (@migraininmyhead) April 18, 2020
From Fox News aerial shot, it appears the #ReopenMaryland #OperationGridlock protest in Annapolis today drew just one lane of maybe 25-30 cars with beeping horns. pic.twitter.com/KOKZXaq5NI
— Politics1.com (@Politics1com) April 18, 2020
From Oregon, California, Idaho, Minnesota, Michigan, Florida, Virginia, and Maryland, thousands of people are ignoring social distancing rules and are protesting their state governments to reopen the economy on Saturday.
In a series of tweets on Friday, appearing to kick off the protests for this weekend, President Trump tweeted: “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!,” “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!,” and “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!”
Stephen Moore, a member of President Trump’s council to reopen the country, launched a protest in Wisconsin on Saturday. Here are some scenes from the rally:
it has gotten much larger pic.twitter.com/vaOtRMrnxf
— Zach Walsh (@Zachwalsh9) April 18, 2020
President Trump released plans on Friday to reopen individual states in phases that were currently experiencing a flattening in the cases and deaths.
The president is eager to reopen the economy to save it from a crushing depression. The danger of reopening an economy too soon is that it could spark a second wave.
And maybe now is not the best time to reopen, considering deaths across the US are surging once more…
People are protesting across the country, ignoring social distancing rules and lacking proper health gear, which could result in a further spread of the virus. Nevertheless, the attempt to reopen will be a failure, just look at what’s happening in China… However, we suspect the protests will grow over the next couple of weeks.
