Forget social distancing or staying at home to save lives -- an angry group of Michiganders are over it and they're loudly protesting, hoping to get their Governor to lift the safer-at-home order.
The scene from Lansing is pretty insane ... hundreds of protesters lining the streets around the Capitol -- very few wearing masks -- to pull off what they call "Operation Gridlock." Drivers in about 400 vehicles leaned on horns while protesters shouted with megaphones.
Michigan State Police troopers are on hand, but say they are protecting First Amendment rights and will only take enforcement action for traffic laws, vandalism or threats to human life. In other words, NO tickets for the obvious social distancing violations.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently expanded the state's stay-at-home order, requiring stores to block off non-essential aisles and banning people from traveling between vacation homes. Motorized boating is also now prohibited.
Protestors say the Governor should let more people back into the workforce and lift restrictions on public outings, even though health officials back the order and warn against lifting restrictions too soon.
Michigan has over 27,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the virus has killed 1,768 people ... fourth-most in the country. Federal health officials still consider the state a "hot spot."