Ohio’s Republican governor defended journalists and the state’s health chief against protesters angry about social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The buck stops with me,” Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday.
“I’m the elected official. I’m the one who ran for office. I’m the one who makes the policy decisions. … So, when you don’t like the policy, again, you can demonstrate against me.”
In recent days, protesters have targeted reporters and showed up at the home of Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton. Videos showed a protester outside the Ohio Statehouse on Friday, targeting a Columbus reporter covering the demonstration. The unidentified woman was not wearing a mask and declined to keep 6 feet between her and the reporter, despite repeated requests from the reporter to keep her distance.
“Because you know that the company that you work for is lying to the American people, and you know that what you are doing is wrong at the end of the day,” the woman yelled at the reporter, Adrienne Robbins. “You know it. You see how nervous you are? You’re shaking.”
I asked this woman to respect my space after she was yelling and spitting in my face. She said i had no right to social distancing in public and continued to follow me. Complaining about my mask (that is meant to protect her and those around me). https://t.co/M7BX888z11
— Adrienne Robbins (@ARobbinsTV) May 1, 2020
DeWine’s spokesman Dan Tierney said he reported the incident to the Ohio Highway Patrol, according to ABC6.
About two dozen protesters showed up Saturday to the home of Acton, holding signs that said, “Dr. Amy Over-Re-Acton, Hairstylists Are Essential,” or, “Let Freedom Work.” DeWine said he respected the protesters’ right to demonstrate but said they were being “obnoxious” toward reporters and Acton.
“To bother the family of Dr. Acton, I don’t think that’s fair game,” he said. “I don’t think it’s right. I don’t think it’s necessary to get your point across.”
He also questioned why protesters exercising their First Amendment rights would target journalists exercising theirs. The journalists were “doing nothing more than following that First Amendment, informing the public — and just remember, they’re informing the public about what you think,” he said.
“But if you treat them with disrespect, to not observe social distancing with them, to be just obnoxious, I just find that very, very sad,” the governor added. “So come after me. I’m fair game. They’re not.”
