Community Corner
Rally Planned At CO State Capitol To Protest Stay-At-Home Order
A group of Coloradans plan to protest the state's stay-at-home order Sunday from their cars outside the state capitol.
DENVER, CO — Thousands of protesters who are against Colorado's stay-at-home order are planning to attend a rally outside the state capitol Sunday. The group plans to stay in their vehicles and follow social distancing rules, organizers said.
The ReOpen Colorado demonstration is set to be held at 1 p.m., so anyone who plans to drive near the capitol can expect traffic delays.
The protesters say the government's restrictions amid the new coronavirus outbreak have been too drastic, and that too much damage has been done. They say that the government hasn't done enough to mitigate that damage.
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As of Saturday night, the ReOpen Colorado Facebook group had grown to more than 15,000 members. According to the group's administrators, Facebook took down their first event page for the rally, but a new page was created. More than 3,500 people have said they plan to attend the demonstration.
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The protesters said they plan to make the rally a weekly event until the stay-at-home order is over.
Colorado's stay-at-home order has been extended until April 26 amid the spread of the new coronavirus, Gov. Jared Polis announced in a state address April 6. Denver's stay-at-home order has been extended until April 30.
In a news conference Wednesday, Polis called the order "horrific for our economy" and acknowledged its toll on people's mental health. But he said the order is saving thousands of lives and that it's "buying time" for hospitals to stockpile supplies. The Colorado Hospital Association said the latest statewide numbers show a "leveling off" of hospitalized patients due to so many Coloradans following the stay-at-home order.
Similar protests have been held in Texas, Maryland, Indiana, Nevada and Wisconsin.
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