Demonstrators in Michigan plan to bring hairstylists to cut their hair in front of the state Capitol.
The Michigan Conservative Coalition, the group that also organized “Operation Gridlock” to cause traffic jams, is organizing “Operation Haircut” to advocate for economic reopenings.
Meshawn Maddock, an organizer with the group, called Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order “tyrannical” and said the operation would be done while following safety guidelines to prove individual responsibility.
“This is about our governor overreaching. It feels tyrannical what we are living under, here in Michigan right now,” Maddock told local media. “We envision hair stylists and barbers showing up with capes, with sanitizer, with things to sanitize their scissors and clippers — just like they do in their businesses anyway,” she later said.
The protest, scheduled for Wednesday, will also feature dog groomers and a masseuse.
On Wednesday, Whitmer claimed on ABC’s The View that the protests against her state’s stay-at-home order were likely contributing to the spread of the coronavirus in rural areas. Since then, she has walked back that claim but insists she will maintain her social distancing protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
“I don’t have proof. I’m not following everybody home and taking their temperatures and watching them for two weeks,” Whitmer said in response to being pressed by a reporter.
In late April, the Michigan legislature denied Whitmer’s request to extend the state of emergency an additional 28 days. Whitmer, however, exercised her executive emergency powers to extend the state of emergency herself against the wishes of lawmakers. The GOP-led House is currently seeking legal recourse.
