Prairie State Wire

A small group of Illinoisans gathered in Springfield on May 1 to protest Gov. J.B. Pritzker's recently extended stay-at-home order, and some observers noted that many protesters gave little thought of social distancing or mask-wearing during the event.

Twitter user Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) tweeted with a video to back his claims:

“There’s got to be at least 1,000 people protesting outside the Illinois Capitol today. Vast majority not wearing masks. No social distancing whatsoever. #twill”

He noted throughout his tweet thread that state representatives attended or expected to attend the protests, including Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), who was expected to speak, and Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) who Moore said he’d seen at the event. 

Many protesters carried signs and chanted “Open Illinois!” Some of the signs read: “One size does NOT fit all!”, “Make America Open Again!” and “Can We Go to Florida?”

The protest was organized by a group called ReOpen Illinois, which has approximately 239 likes on the its Facebook page, along with mixed reviews.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported on May 1 that a similar Chicago rally drew fewer than the 5,000 participants anticipated by organizers, and that street closures were minimal. The protests drew several hundred to Springfield, with people occupying the Capitol steps and the east side lawn.

Drivers honked car horns in support of the rallies, but also in opposition. 

Protesters called for Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to be removed from elected offices

Reopen Illinois is a group of individuals calling for the Governor to lift the stay-at-home order and social gathering restrictions, and allow Illinois residents to return to work.  

The organization posts links to news coverage they believe proves their point, questioning on May 3 whether Pritzker might “walk back his 6-week assault on the Constitution?”