Demonstrators are gathering at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg on Monday afternoon in hopes of sending a pointed message to Gov. Tom Wolf (D): It is time to reopen Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvanians are the latest to carry the “reopen America” message directly to their leaders and are expected to gather for the event organized by the groups “End the Lockdown Pennsylvania,” “Pennsylvanians Against Excessive Quarantine,” and “Reopen Pennsylvania.”
“We are Pennsylvanian residents and business owners that stand for our rights and freedoms. We demand our officials re-open PA on May 1, 2020,” Reopen Pennsylvania’s Facebook page reads:
Our small businesses, the very backbone of our communities, are being choked out by forced closure, moved goal posts, and empty promises. The shut down is a extraordinary overreach of power by our government, is unnecessary, and is not sustainable
According to ABC27, organizers expect “thousands” to show up to the protest, which is slated to begin at noon. Demonstrators are encouraged to practice social distancing, although the Pennsylvania Department of General Services has advising against participating in the physical gathering.
A “Thank U Truckers” sign spotted at an exit for a Pennsylvania Welcome Center by Breitbart News’s Matthew Perdie as he drove into Harrisburg to livestream Monday’s event.
“We strongly discourage anyone from attending any public gathering at this time,” Troy Thompson, a spokesperson for the department, said in a statement. “Protesters who gather on Monday will be placing themselves and others at significant risk of COVID-19 infection.”
Wolf announced last week that officials are “continuing to plan for phased reopening” of the state and previewed a general framework, but he has yet to provide a specific timetable.
Breitbart News’s first stream Monday:
Other states expected to see protests Monday include Virginia, Ohio, California, and Tennessee.
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