California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Saturday that he won’t be swayed by the protests that erupted in his state demanding an end to the stay-at-home order.
“We are going to do the right thing, not judge by politics, not judge by protests, but by science,” Newsom told the Los Angeles Times.
Newsom said he encourages residents to “practice your free speech” so long as they maintain social distancing guidelines while doing so.
“I just want to encourage people that when you practice your free speech — which I don’t [just] embrace, I celebrate — just do so safely. This virus knows no political ideology. It doesn’t know if you are Republican or Democrat, supporting the president, opposing the president, so practice physical distancing,” Newsom said.
Several protests have popped up in the California this week, including one in Huntington Beach against the governor’s social distancing measures.
“Make sure that you are not infecting others. Even if you feel healthy and have no symptoms, you can spread this,” he added.
Growing unrest due to social distancing guidelines have resulted in dozens of protests across the country as groups demand an end to their state’s executive orders. The protests have mostly been spearheaded by local conservative groups.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said Thursday night that the protests in her state are the “kind of irresponsible action that puts us in this situation where we might have to actually think about extending stay-at-home orders, which is supposedly what they are protesting.”