SPOKANE, Wash. — Several hundred people rallied against Gov. Jay Inslee's stay-home order at the Spokane County Courthouse on Friday.
Gov. Jay Inslee extended the order aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus through May 31 shortly before the protest began. Coronavirus has killed 22 people in Spokane County and more than 60,000 others nationwide.
Protesters gathered at the Spokane Arena ahead of the rally. Some were carrying American flags and one was holding a sign that read, "Those who choose safety over liberty deserve neither."
Other protesters were holding signs that read, "Spokane is open now."
Protesters and speakers at the rally, including Spokane Valley Rep. Matt Shea, chanted, "Freedom is the cure."
“We need to reclaim our job as Christians to not just preach the gospel but also to make disciples, which means sometimes we’ve got to stand out here and tell the government and the leaders that are unconstitutionally infringing on us, ‘No, you can’t do that anymore,'" Shea said at the rally.
Business owner Patti Thor Usselman also spoke at the rally, saying it is "immoral" for the government to decide which businesses are essential or non-essential.
Usselman called on those in attendance to reopen their businesses on Monday.
"Enough is enough. Our freedom and our livelihood are essential," another speaker said at the rally on Friday.
'I want no part of Matt Shea's freedom,' Sheriff Knezovich says
Protesters also engaged in a heated exchange with Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, who was on the courthouse steps to address questions and concerns from demonstrators.
At one point, Sheriff Knezovich was shaking hands with protesters while wearing gloves. He was not donning a mask.
Knezovich also criticized Shea's response during the protest in an interview with KREM, saying he did not see a solution from what the lawmaker said on Friday.
“We [authorities] were here to let the people know what has been going, what work is being done, and you saw the classic response of Matt Shea," he said. "He leaves and then he tries to shut down any other conversation. If that’s freedom, I want no part of Matt Shea’s freedom.”
“Many, many people came here, but they did not come here for Matt Shea. They came simply to voice that they are concerned, they are fearful, and they have a right to be because they’re about to lose their businesses," he added later.
Knezovich also expressed discontent with Inslee's extension of the stay-home order and plan for reopening Washington.
“What the governor announced today is draconian – I mean, beyond draconian," Knezovich said. "It's not reasonable."
“Governor Inslee is making a huge mistake here," he added.
Despite the order from Gov. Inslee banning large gatherings, authorities in the Spokane area said on Thursday that they did not plan to cite those who choose to attend protests planned for Friday.
“When you start talking about citing people for protests, you start getting deep into constitutional issues," Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said during a media briefing on Thursday.
Spokane police officers were also staged to monitor the event and take enforcement measures if necessary. Police said on Friday evening that protesters obeyed traffic laws for the most part and the peaceful protest did not require action from law enforcement.
In an interview with KREM on Friday, Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward said she supports residents' right to protest.
"That’s why we live in the best country in the world because you can protest your government. You have a right to free speech, a right to assemble So what they’re doing I fully support," she said. "Unfortunately, they’re not social distancing, which is going to be extremely important now and extremely important in the future.”
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