Hundreds gather in North Carolina and Missouri to protest stay-at-home orders
Allan Smith | April 21, 2020, 2:56 PM EDTHundreds of protesters gathered at state capitals in North Carolina and Missouri to protest stay-at-home orders Tuesday, the latest in a wave of demonstrations against statewide restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The small protests featured demonstrators — many of them wearing gear promoting President Donald Trump and waving "Don't Tread on Me" and U.S. flags — who mostly opted against wearing masks and ignored social distancing guidelines that health experts say are necessary to mitigate the transmission of the highly contagious virus.
The protesters decried the stay-at-home orders, which have curtailed businesses and personal freedoms, and pointed to the 22 million Americans who have filed for first-time unemployment insurance over the past month. Health experts and many governors have cautioned against easing restrictions too soon given how easily the virus spreads, as well as limits on testing and treatment.
Although the protests have generated considerable media attention, polling indicates that they represent the views of a small minority of Americans. A Gallup poll conducted this month found that just 20 percent of Americans would like to see an immediate return to normal, while 71 percent prefer to wait and see how the outbreak develops.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/hundreds-gather-north-carolina-missouri-protest-stay-home-orders-n1188936Funny how NBC tries to discredit these protesters instead of simply reporting the news.
