Name: Protesters descend on Colorado Capitol to oppose coronavirus restrictions
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Protesters descend on Colorado Capitol to oppose coronavirus restrictions

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Show Caption of By | | The Denver PostSeveral hundred protesters descended on Colorado’s Capitol Sunday to oppose the state’s stay-at-home order and the ongoing social distancing restrictions implemented amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.They waved American flags, shouted into bullhorns about constitutional rights and held up signs that heralded “freedom over fear.” They called Gov. Jared Polis a tyrant and by-and-large said the ongoing economic cost of the statewide shutdown was no longer worth the few lives that might be saved.The gathering on the capitol steps was augmented by a multitude of protesters passing by in vehicles. For about four hours, they drove trucks, cars, vans, motorcycles and buses down Lincoln Street, honking their horns, waving through sunroofs, flying ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ flags and creating a cacophony. One man passed the capitol building several times on horseback, wearing a cowboy hat and carrying an American flag.RELATED:“Pot shops are open, abortion clinics are open and my church is closed,” said protester Mary Conley of Jefferson County. She held a sign that read, “Trust the people,” and said she believes the statewide shutdown has gone on too long.“Death is a part of life,” she said. “And it’s time to start living again.”Many protesters wore hats and clothing in support of President Donald Trump, and some wore masks, although few practiced social distancing as the crowd swelled mid-afternoon under sunny skies.Protester Jim Fenimore, of Colorado Springs, said he attended because he believes the drastic response to the coronavirus pandemic has been ginned up as a political tool, one intended to make the economy crash and subsequently cause Trump to lose support and be ousted from office.Colorado should lift its stay-at-home order even before the scheduled April 26 reopening, he said. Denver’s order is set to lift on April 30.“Every day that goes by is hurting the state,” he said, adding that he knows of some small businesses which have been forced to close and likely will not reopen.“I don’t want anyone to see anyone die,” he said. “But there are far more deaths for other reasons.”The pandemic and stay-at-home order has wreaked chaos on Colorado’s economy, creating benefits since mid-March. Polis last week recognized that the current level of social distancing and restrictions are unsustainable for the long term, but cautioned that reopening the state will need to happen slowly, with some precautions persisting for months in order to prevent a second wave of novel coronavirus infections.The state on Monday is expected to release additional details on the phased reopening.Similar protests against stay-at-home orders have been held in several states in the last few days, including in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina and Utah.The Denver protest, which began in earnest around 1 p.m., wrapped around 4 p.m. At least two people were briefly detained by the Colorado State Patrol for carrying holstered handguns within the city limits. Authorities let them go after a few moments on the condition they put their guns away.Riley Carlson, 25, of Denver, protested Sunday after she lost two jobs, one as a dog walker and another at a winery. She lost between $1,200 and $1,600 in income each month, she said, money that she and her husband had been saving for a down payment on house.“My boss at the winery is on her way to going bankrupt,” she said.She believes the economy can reopen because Colorado residents now know how to be safe despite the virus, which health experts have said will linger in the state for months and perhaps years.Many protesters spoke of individual liberty and suggested that the state’s stay-at-home order violated their constitutional rights. They carried signs that read, “Facts not fear” and “More freedom, less tyranny.”At one point the crowd chanted, “USA, USA, USA.” People shouted to be heard over the constant blare of car horns.“I just feel like they are making too big of a thing out of this virus,” protester Angie Conde said. “I just want to get back to normal.”Out at a protest against Colorado's coronavirus stay at home order. It's loud.— Shelly Bradbury (@ShellyBradbury)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. As of June 15, 2022, comments on are powered by Viafoura, and you may need to log in again to begin commenting. Read more about our new commenting system . If you need help or are having issues with your commenting account, please email us atSign up for Newsletters and AlertsFollow UsMost PopularClose

Show Caption of By | | The Denver PostSeveral hundred protesters descended on Colorado’s Capitol Sunday to oppose the state’s stay-at-home order and the ongoing social distancing restrictions implemented amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.They waved American flags, shouted into bullhorns about constitutional rights and held up signs that heralded “freedom over fear.” They called Gov. Jared Polis a tyrant and by-and-large said the ongoing economic cost of the statewide shutdown was no longer worth the few lives that might be saved.The gathering on the capitol steps was augmented by a...

Protesters descend on Colorado Capitol to oppose coronavirus restrictions

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