Demonstrators Perform Squats, Pushups in Front of Florida Courthouse in Protest of Gym Closures

A group of demonstrators performed a series of exercises, squats, and pushups, in front of the courthouse in Clearwater, Florida, on Monday in protest of continued gym closures across the state.

Gyms in the Sunshine State have been closed for weeks, and while the state is slowly reopening, gyms are not included — at least, not yet. The lack of gym openings spurred a protest outside of the Pinellas County Courthouse in Clearwater on Monday, which featured protesters holding signs, waving flags, and doing squats and pushups:

The state is currently in Phase One of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) reopening plan, which allows retailers to conduct in-person shopping with a limited capacity and allows restaurants to offer dine-in services at 25 percent capacity. While Phase One did not originally include personal care services, DeSantis is allowing most to resume operations this week, although with limitations:

Gyms are permitted to reopen under Phase Two of the state’s plan to reopen. However, they will only be able to operate at a 75 percent capacity. Additionally, they will be required to adhere to strict social distancing measures and increased sanitation methods.

Florida can move into the next phase of reopening “once the governor determines it is suitable to continue reopening and after fully considering medical data in consultation with state health officials,” according to a FAQ of the governor’s orders.