In Lansing, Michigan, thousands of protesters flooded the streets around the state Capitol building in their cars Wednesday and defied a state ban on public gatherings to demand an end to Michigan’s quarantine measures. The protest was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition under the hashtag #OperationGridlock. One large group of men armed with assault rifles posed for a picture on the steps of the state Capitol, holding signs reading “Trump/Pence” and “remove the Whitmer regime.”

Inside the Capitol, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said the protesters risked spreading disease, and blasted them for blocking access to a hospital, where an ambulance was unable to discharge a patient.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: “I support your right to free speech, and I respect your opinions. I just urge you: Don’t put yourself at risk, and don’t put others at risk either.”

In Frankfort, Kentucky, dozens of protesters shouted through a window of the state Capitol building Wednesday, interrupting Governor Andy Beshear as he held a coronavirus press briefing.