Denver coronavirus lockdown protester yells at health care worker, sparks outrage
Rallies to reopen state economies have popped up from Washington to Tennessee
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Video of a coronavirus lockdown protester in Denver yelling at a man in scrubs blocking her car from moving forward has sparked outrage online.
"Land of the free! Go to China if you want communism!" the protester said to the man, who was identified as a health care worker by photojournalist Alyson McClaran.
McClaran's photos show two health care workers blocking "Operation Gridlock" protesters on Sunday.
"They were blocking the roads until the police force stepped in," she told The New York Times. "People were putting their cars right up against them."
CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN PROTESTS EXPAND TO MORE THAN 20 STATES AS ECONOMIC WOES MOUNT
Rallies in favor of reopening state economies popped up from Washington to Tennessee on Sunday. Some demonstrators have ignored social distancing while others remain in their cars to avoid spreading the virus. Photos showed that many #FreeTN rallygoers in Nashville did not stay stay six feet apart on Sunday.
Photos taken Sunday purportedly show health care workers standing in the street in counter-protest of those who gathered at the Colorado State Capitol to demand the end of the state's coronavirus lockdown measures. Alyson McClaran/Reuters
"We encouraged everyone to take precautions. ... We encouraged masks and distancing for those who wanted it, riding in cars for those who wanted it, but we were not going to force anything on anyone," #FreeTN organizer Kimberly Edwards told FOX Business.
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More protests asking states to allow more businesses to reopen are scheduled for this week. That includes protests in Connecticut, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Maine set to happen on Monday.
The protests come as massive job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic continue to mount — total unemployment claims have hit nearly 22 million over the four weeks ending on April 11.
Protesters rally at the Tennessee state capitol to speak out against the state's handling of the COVID-19 outbreak Sunday, April 19, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the demonstrations "unfortunate" on "Fox News Sunday."
"What we have to do is shelter in place. ... But, you know, people will do what they do. But the fact is, we're all impatient. We all want out. But what they're doing is really unfortunate," Pelosi said.