Open up, say protesters

  • Anti-lockdown protesters march near the Columbia County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. The demonstrators called for all businesses to be allowed to reopen, even as the state has begun relaxing measures in place to curb the spread of covid-19. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)
    Anti-lockdown protesters march near the Columbia County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. The demonstrators called for all businesses to be allowed to reopen, even as the state has begun relaxing measures in place to curb the spread of covid-19. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)
  • Re-open demonstrators wave signs at traffic on the corner of Duval and Marion. Among the protesters was Lisa Waltrip, a rogue hair salon owner defying the governor’s order to shut down. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)
    Re-open demonstrators wave signs at traffic on the corner of Duval and Marion. Among the protesters was Lisa Waltrip, a rogue hair salon owner defying the governor’s order to shut down. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)
  • One protester waves the Gadsden flag, a traditional American symbol that has since been adopted as a banner for libertarian ideas of freedom and unrestricted commerce. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)
    One protester waves the Gadsden flag, a traditional American symbol that has since been adopted as a banner for libertarian ideas of freedom and unrestricted commerce. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

Calling for an immediate reopening of the local economy, a group of protesters assembled in front of the Columbia County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. 

Around 10 a.m., a crowd of roughly 25 people began a demonstration to demand the end of quarantine restrictions in place to curb the spread of covid-19. Florida has begun relaxing the rules, such as allowing restaurants to resume dine-in service on a limited basis, but Crystal Felton, who organized the demonstration, said that isn’t enough. 

“If they’re going to reopen things, they might as well reopen everything,” Felton said. 

Florida began a gradual unfreezing of the economy on Monday, but businesses such as bars, barber shops and gyms still don’t have a green light to reopen.

“It’s just unfair to our local businesses when all these other businesses are allowed to be open,” Felton said. “They should be getting more recognition, they should be prioritized. They have procedures to keep things clean way more than Walmart, yet they’re going to suffer the worst.”

Among the protesters were County Commission District 1 candidate Kyle Green, who promoted the event on Facebook, and Lisa Waltrip, owner of Haircuts Unlimited off U.S. Highway 90, a salon openly defying the governor’s order to close shop. 

Terry Rhoden attended the protest to support business owners such as Waltrip. 

“Fair is fair,” Rhoden said. “If they’re allowed to open some of these locations, she should be allowed to open hers.”

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Columbia County had 96 reported cases of covid-19 and two deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health. 

In Suwannee County, 141 cases have been reported along with 17 deaths.

Fourteen of those deaths were at a single nursing home, Suwannee Health and Rehabilitation Center in Live Oak. Thirteen were patients and one was a staff member.

Statewide, there were 37,439 cases and 1,471 deaths. 

On a national scale, there were more than 1.2 million cases in the United States and 71,148 deaths, including 877 fatalities since the prior day. 

Frustrated with the shutdown measures in place to combat the virus, protest demonstrations are popping up around the country to demand a return to normalcy. 

Deborah Birx, a coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force, has called the protests “devastatingly worrisome” due to the disregard for social distancing guidelines.