For the second-straight day, a group of protesters has gathered outside the Governor's Residence in St. Paul. The protesters want Governor Walz to lift the Stay at Home order so people can go back to work. Among the protesters is Lake Crystal Republican Representative Jeremy Munson.
Hundreds formed by a Facebook group, Liberate Minnesota, have gathered outside the residence to voice their opposition to the order. There were smaller protests that began demonstrating at 11 a.m. Thursday in front of the governor’s mansion but a much larger group has gathered there on Friday.
"We're here for the voice of the minority of Minnesotans who are forced to stay home and can't provide for their families," Munson told WCCO Radio. "The government's taken from them and hasn't given them just compensation or due process."
Governor Walz has said repeatedly that the point of the stay-at-home order is limiting the spread of COVID-19 cases so the state's health care system can handle the load. Something that up to this point has worked with Minnesota ranking the lowest in per-capita cases in the U.S.
While the protests are going on, the governor is making plans to open at least a few outdoor activities, such as golf, hunting and bait shops on Saturday at 5:00 a.m.
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Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health have been telling Minnesotans that until COVID-19 testing in the state can handle up to 4,000 per day, they will continue to keep the state closed, something that has frustrated many small businesses. Recent reports from the U of M and Mayo Clinic suggest the state is almost to the point of meeting his requirement.
