On Wednesday this week, angry residents of Michigan descended upon the state capital of Lansing to protest Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s new and much stricter stay at home order. The order was issued on Thursday of last week and closed home improvement stores, limited the use of motorboats, closed public golf courses, and curbed most interstate travel, limiting the movement of citizens of Michigan. 

Residents opposing this order defied the order and drove to downtown Lansing and purposely created complete gridlock in the center of the city, which extended for miles and backed up interstate highways. These citizens then marched to the lawn of the state capitol building with signs protesting the order. According to Business Insider, the protest has been dubbed “Operation Gridlock” and is still ongoing as of the writing of this article.

Many of the protesting citizens took to social media to voice their disdain for the strict shelter in place order. Many citizens identify themselves with the Michigan Conservative Coalition as well as the Michigan Freedom Fund. In a video filmed on YouTube Live, a cacophony of car horns as well as chanting protesters can be heard. 

Police have taken a step back and are mostly ensuring chaos does not break out in the city. According to an interview of Lieutenant Darren Green of the Michigan State Police by USA Today, he estimates there are several thousand cars backing up traffic for several miles in every direction from the capital, and several hundred are standing on the capitol lawn.

Lt. Green stated, “They’re doing a pretty good job of maintaining social distance…They’re being respectful and not causing any issues at all.”

No arrests have been reported by either the Michigan State Police or the Lansing Police Department as of the writing of this article.