LANSING, Mich. – A large group of demonstrators – many not wearing masks and some carrying rifles on their shoulders – crowded into the lobby outside the state House chambers Thursday,…
LANSING, Mich. – A large group of demonstrators – many not wearing masks and some carrying rifles on their shoulders – crowded into the lobby outside the state House chambers Thursday, shouting to be allowed onto the House floor, during a protest at the Capitol against Michigan’s state of emergency.
Michigan State Police troopers, wearing face masks, formed a line between the demonstrators and the entrance to the House floor, which is off-limits to the general public.
“Let us in,” the protesters shouted, in some cases within a few inches of the police officers’ faces.
At least one state senator expressed worry when she saw demonstrators shouting and carrying firearms in the public gallery.
“Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us,” Democratic state Sen. Dayna Polehanki posted on Twitter, along with a photo. “Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today.”
Open carry of firearms is allowed both on Capitol grounds and inside the Capitol, said Lt. Brian Oleksyk of the Michigan State Police.
“There’s always a risk, but we were prepared for it,” he said. “People are allowed to exercise their right to freedom of speech and their right to open carry. We always kept an eye on it.”
He said “people were just venting their frustrations in a loud manner” outside the House chamber, but “once they were able to do that… people were pleasant and polite.”
Earlier, a few hundred demonstrators gathered under light rain outside the Capitol, urging lawmakers not to extend Michigan’s state of emergency related to the coronavirus pandemic.
They carried signs that read “Impeach Whitmer,” “You’re Killing Small Businesses,” and “Liberty or Death.” Many also wore hats or carried other paraphernalia touting Republican President Donald Trump and his 2020 reelection campaign.
The demonstrators got their wish in that the Republican-controlled Legislature did not vote to extend Michigan’s state of emergency, as requested by Democratic Gov.
