Coronavirus: in Sacramento, anti-containment wants to "reopen California"

Hundreds of people gathered Friday, May 1, outside the Sacramento Capitol, to demand an end to the confinement. Josh Edelson / AFP

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For several weeks in the United States, demonstrators often few and very conservative, sometimes weapons in hand, demand the reopening of the economy. Like Donald Trump, they fear that containment will be more devastating than the coronavirus, at least for the American economy. Report in Sacremento, the Californian capital.

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With our special correspondent in Sacramento, Éric de Salve

In front of the Sacramento Capitol, a few thousand demand the end of the confinement . A compact crowd in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, almost no protester wearing a mask. Useless, estimates Suzanne, however a doctor retired, who prefers to roll up in the American flag and to denounce a propaganda of the media. "  The mainstream media say anything, they only spread fear, " she lambasted. " I don't know of any science that says that social distancing protects us and avoids the dead as they say. It makes no sense to me. I defend freedom.  "

I lost two-thirds of my clientele because they too lost their jobs  "

In the crowd, many pro-Trump flags and caps, and those who do not support the president, often say they are more Republican than he, or libertarians, anti-state. Like Emily, owner of one of her gym which she judges to be closed in the name of totally unjustified confinement. I have invested over a million dollars in this business and all is lost, " she says. Will we get over it? I do not know. I lost two-thirds of my clientele because they too lost their jobs. This is containment.  "

►Read also: How California made a difference in the battle against the coronavirus

California, the first state affected by coronavirus in the United States, has more than 2,000 deaths. On March 19, his governor was the first to order containment expected to last until the end of May.

In total, more than 30 million people have registered as unemployed since mid-March. A historic record for the United States. Other demonstrations took place in Los Angeles, San Franciso or San Diego, but also in other states such as Chicago or New York.

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  • United States
  • Coronavirus
  • Confinement
  • Economic crisis

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