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April 20, 2020

Right-Wing Groups Organize Anti-Lockdown Protests Around the Country
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Thousands of anti-quarantine protesters continued to defy social
distancing orders to protest around the U.S. over the weekend. Protests
took place in Texas, Indiana, New Hampshire, Nevada, Maryland, Utah,
Wisconsin, Washington and Colorado. In Olympia, Washington, 2,500 people
defied a ban on large public gatherings. Hundreds more ignored
stay-at-home orders to protest at the Colorado state Capitol in Denver.
Protests also took place in San Diego.

One of the far-right activists organizing the protests online is so
called gun-rights activist Ben Dorr and his two brothers, who run the
group Minnesota Gun Rights. The trio has attacked the National Rifle
Association as too soft on gun rights and has set up Facebook pages to
organize protests in several states with names like "Wisconsinites
Against Excessive Quarantine."

Meanwhile, last week's anti-quarantine protest in Lansing, Michigan, was
organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, which is founded by
two prominent Trump supporters and was promoted by the Michigan Freedom
Fund, whose founder Greg Mc Neilly is linked to the family of Education
Secretary Betsy De Vos.

In a series of tweets Friday afternoon, President Trump issued an online
call to "LIBERATE" Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia - all states where
protesters targeted Democratic governors last week.


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