Protesters return to Trenton to demand Murphy reopen N.J. as coronavirus death toll rises
Trenton #Trenton
At least 150 protesters descended on New Jersey’s Statehouse Thursday to blast the restrictions Gov. Phil Murphy has put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
With chants of “open New Jersey now” and “freedom over fear” and American flags and Trump banners waving, the protesters demanded Murphy effectively reopen the state.
The group, which ignored social-distancing guidelines by congregating and crowding close together, ended the protest outside the Trenton War Memorial, where Murphy holds his daily coronavirus briefings.
At Thursday’s briefing, Murphy announced another at least 254 people were reported to have died from the virus, bringing the state’s total to at least 8,801 since the first reported COVID-19 death in New Jersey on March 11.
It’s the second time in as many weeks that protests of that size occurred in Trenton. Hundreds gathered in a similar manner on April 28.
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Murphy said after last week’s protest that he wished “they would do it from home” and abide by social distancing rules for safety.
“People have a right to protest,” the governor said at his daily briefing on April 29.
“I don’t agree with them on this. Please don’t claim that we’re not patriotic by flying the American flag and implying that we don’t fly it. I fly five of them at my house. I love my country. I love my state,” he said. “But the thing that really bothered me was they were congregating.”
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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com.
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