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Anti-containment protests on the rise in the United States, Trump seems to be encouraging them


Anti-containment protesters in Michigan on April 15, 2020. – Paul Sancya / AP / SIPA

The grumbling against the containment is gaining momentum in the United States. As protests have taken place in half a dozen states in recent days, Donald Trump, who advocates at the desk of the White House respecting the instructions seemed to encourage them on Twitter on Friday.

In the midst of the coronavirus, the US president targeted three states ruled by Democratic governors, tweeting just minutes apart: “Free Minnesota!” “,” Free Michigan! “And” Free Virginia “. For the latter state, he added, with reference to the right of the Americans to bear arms: “And save your formidable second amendment. He is under siege! ” Washington State Democratic Governor Jay Inslee was outraged that the presidential tweets encouraged “dangerous and illegal acts”.

Anti-containment protesters in Ohio, April 16, 2020. – USA Today Network / Sipa USA / SIP

Armed protesters

These three states are headed by democratic governors who have ordered their residents to stay at home. The pandemic has killed more than 30,000 people in the United States, which on Friday identified nearly 700,000 cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. Michigan has nearly 2,000 deaths, Virginia 208 and Minnesota 87 deaths.

Anti-containment protesters in Florida, April 17, 2020.
Anti-containment protesters in Florida, April 17, 2020. – John Raoux / AP / SIPA

Protesters in these states have broken orders to stay home this week to protest the containment and call on their governors to reopen the economy. In Minnesota, St Paul, they were just hundreds on Friday gathered under the slogan “Liberate Minnesota” in front of the residence of Governor Tim Walz, according to local press. In Lansing, the capital of Michigan, there were around 3,000 on Wednesday, sometimes armed, to denounce Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, some carrying banners in favor of Donald Trump, others brandishing semi-automatic rifles.

Democrats denounce incitement to “violence”

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam told him that he “did not have time to get into wars on Twitter. “My team and I are waging a biological war” against the virus, he told reporters. Northam recently enacted several laws to limit arms sales and increase background checks, which may explain the Donald Trump tweet.

As for the Minnesota leader, Tim Walz, he retorted that his “first responsibility” was to protect the population. “If I thought we could go back to work tomorrow, that’s exactly what we would do.” “It puts millions of people at risk of catching the Covid-19. His unbalanced tirades and calls to “liberate” states could also lead to violence, “said Jay Inslay.

New protests are scheduled for Saturday, including Concord in New Hampshire, Annapolis in Maryland, Austin in Texas and Colorado. According to a Twitter spokesperson, these Donad Trump tweets are too “vague and ambiguous” for the social network to “deduce an intention to harm” and delete them.

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