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Operation Gridlock Says the People Should Decide What's Essential

Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 5:21 p.m.

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered at the State Capitol Sunday, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 1/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 2/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 3/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 4/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 5/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 6/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 7/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 8/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 9/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 10/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 11/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 12/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 13/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 14/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 15/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 16/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 17/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 18/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 19/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 20/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 21/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 22/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 23/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 24/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 25/26

Evan Semón Hundreds of people from around Colorado gathered to jam the streets and flood the lawn surrounding the state capitol, demanding that Polis lift the statewide stay-at-home order. 26/26

Operation Gridlock Says the People Should Decide What's Essential

On Sunday, April 19, Coloradans from around the state gathered at the Capitol to protest Governor Jared Polis's stay-at-home order. Deemed "Operation Gridlock," the demonstration jammed up the streets and filled the west lawn with protesters speaking out against the governor's shutdowns.

Members of the crowd referred to Polis as a "tyrant," and argued that Coloradans should have the right to choose their response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Their frustrations come in the wake of the state's devastating loss of jobs, causing 232,000 to file for unemployment benefits since social distancing began in mid-March.

Last week, Polis said that he recognizes that current measures are not a sustainable solution, but that reopening will need to be gradual in order to prevent a second wave of the public-health crisis.

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