By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – Sunshine – and an appetite for freedom and liberty – brought perhaps a thousand people to the Capitol grounds Friday – May Day – for a “Reopen Illinois” rally. The group says Gov. JB Pritzker’s “stay home” orders, which have closed businesses and kept people cooped up at home, not only threaten their livelihoods, but they’re unconstitutional.
After expressing sympathy for those who have lost their lives to coronavirus and for their loved ones, one of the organizers, Brian Mitchell, shouted into the microphone. “Two thousand deaths versus 12.7 million people in this state that are watching everything they worked for go up in smoke is unacceptable! This is not a crisis level issue; this is a political issue!”
Mitchell said Pritzker’s plan is to shut down the state in an attempt to get federal funds.
“How can he make a decision without knowing exactly how bad it is?” asked Scott Arnold of Orland Park. “What’s the percentage of deaths as to the percentage of people who have had the virus or still have the virus? They’re so skewed, I don’t know what it is. I haven’t seen any solid numbers.”
Pritzker has extended his “stay home” order through May 30.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].
