Health care workers blocked protesters challenging stay-at-home orders in Denver on Sunday, according to video and photos shared on social media.
Images posted on Facebook by photographer Alyson McClaran show two health care workers in scrubs and masks standing with arms crossed in the street, blocking the protesters in a counter demonstration.
Video of the interaction shared on Twitter shows a woman holding a sign with the words “Land of the Free” yelling at one of the health care workers silently blocking her truck from passing.
Some protests have broken out across the country against stay-at-home orders put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Stay-at-home orders have been ordered in nearly every state in the country to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading through social contact. Public health officials have warned that such social distancing measures can help flatten the curve of infections and limit the number of cases of the potentially fatal COVID-19.
Colorado is under an order that calls for residents to stay at home unless they are engaged in necessary activities. Under the order, all bars, restaurants and gyms are closed.
Colorado has reported 9,730 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 420 deaths.
President Trump last week defended protesters defying social district guidelines. He said at a Friday White House briefing that he feels some state orders are “too tough.”
He also tweeted support for protests in Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia, calling to “liberate” the three states all run by Democratic governors.
He said he doesn’t necessarily think those states should lift their stay-at-home orders but said he feels “elements of what they’ve done is too much.”
White House guidelines released last week recommend states wait for a 14-day decline in cases before they lift stay-at-home orders.