“I know people are angry and scared about their ability to feed their families during this crisis, but it is extremely irresponsible to orchestrate a traffic jam in Lansing in protest. Maybe these protesters haven’t lost someone to COVID-19. Maybe they haven’t had to figure out how to bury a loved one while selecting only 10 family members to attend the memorial service. Maybe they don’t know a doctor, nurse, corrections officer, long-term care worker or first responder putting their lives at risk every day during this global pandemic.
“This decision put lives in jeopardy by blocking emergency vehicles, impedes the ability of essential state workers to perform critical responsibilities and risks further transmission of COVID-19 throughout our state. That’s not to mention the impact this has had on the families who live in the neighborhoods surrounding the Capitol: parents trying to educate their children from home, senior citizens who have had to suffer through hours of noise and disruption, and the countless other gas station, pharmacy and grocery store workers put at greater risk due to the large numbers of travelers to the Lansing area for this event.
“I want to thank the hardworking members of the Lansing Police Department and the Michigan State Police for protecting everyone in Lansing today, from our neighbors to those protesting.”