Families burn masks at rally against COVID-19 emergency order at Idaho Capitol
Idaho #Idaho
More than 150 people gathered outside the Idaho State Capitol Saturday to burn masks and rally against Gov. Brad Little’s emergency COVID-19 restrictions.
Families stood around burning metal trashcans outside the building, with some cheering while a young girl threw her mask into the flames, according to a video Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Sergio Olmos recorded at the scene.
One man off-screen can be heard discussing the fumes emanating from the burning barrel, saying, “Smell the freedom, baby.”
Idaho state troopers and Boise police arrived at the scene to tell crowd members to put out the fire, while some protesters told police to go away.
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One organizer for the capital event, Darr Moon, told Washington Examiner the gathering was a rally, not a protest.
“We’re standing here today to rein back government, to reestablish our republican form of government, a government that has balance between the branches,” he said. “We’re kind of that belief that we need well-defined government and certain boundaries, and that’s not what we have today.”
He said the event was organized partially by a grassroots activist group called “Help Freedom Idaho,” with trails of other liberty-based groups joining for the rally Saturday.
Moon accused Little of “appropriating money” and “pretty much ruining the show” in Idaho. He also said the governor’s emergency order for COVID-19 signed into effect last year was “no longer necessary.”
His wife, state Rep. Dorothy Moon, is also Republican.
The state GOP, which hold supermajorities in the House and Senate, is currently in a battle against the governor, who wants the emergency order to remain intact in the interest of public safety.
“We are so close to returning to normal,” Little told the Idaho Statesman. “But that success is threatened by the actions taking place in the Legislature right now.”
Protesters bombarded Idaho health officials’ homes in protest to a COVID-19 health order last December, forcing the postponement of a meeting that would discuss health measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Residents of Idaho also demonstrated and burned masks outside Boise City Hall during the summer, according to KIDO Radio.
Idaho previously imposed strict measures during peak periods of virus transmission during the pandemic, limiting indoor gatherings to fewer than 10 people and temporarily shuttering bars and nightclubs.
Other measures have interfered with the operations of some small businesses, who have been forced to adjust to health safety standards such as ensuring 6 feet of distance is between patrons and employees.
Still, most health ordinances in the state have largely been rescinded, and rally-goers contend the governor’s emergency order is not necessary anymore. On Tuesday, Republican lawmakers proposed legislation seeking to ban mask mandates across the state of Idaho. Seven counties and 11 cities across the state have some form of mask mandate for the public to follow.
Idaho has confirmed 172,827 COVID-19 cases and 1,876 fatalities since the outset of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Nearly 9% of residents have received both doses of the vaccine.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to the governor’s office but did not immediately received a response.
Tags: News, Idaho, Protests, Rally, Coronavirus
Original Author: Kaelan Deese
Original Location: Families burn masks at rally against COVID-19 emergency order at Idaho Capitol