Protests against containment continue in the United States. In the name of defending individual freedom – "The freedom to catch the coronavirus", as the columnist of the New york times Charlie Warzel, more than a thousand protesters gathered on Monday April 20 in Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania. Several hundred of them were massed on the steps of the Capitol, in violation of the order of the governor of the state to maintain a social distance of at least 1.80 m to prevent the spread of the virus. Among the banners: "Communism kills more than Covid-19". Or "Jesus is my vaccine".
Since the first demonstration, on April 15 in Michigan, thirteen American states – Democrats and Republicans alike – have experienced similar movements: on foot, although groupings of more than 10 people are prohibited. Or by car, in the form of snail operations (operation gridlock). The press stressed that these rallies were by no means representative of the state of mind of the population: according to a survey by the Pew research center dated April 16, 66% of Americans are rather worried about the confinement being lifted " too early ", despite the economic consequences (currently 22 million unemployed).
But observers noted the similarities with the Tea Party. In April 2010, the anti-tax movement started with eruptions of a few dozen "Revolutionary", before spreading and lastingly influencing the Republican Party. Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, the entity that had funded the Tea Party from its inception, has not denied being in contact with the anti-containment movement. "It turns out that many of our activists are organizers", he explained to Vox Media.
An image is already emblematic of the tension between economic logic and the battle against the virus. Seized in Denver, Colorado, on April 19, it shows a man and a woman in medical uniforms, planted in the middle of the street, mask on the face. Together, the caregivers block the procession of anti-containment. A woman dressed in a T-shirt "USA", climbs out of the glass of a size XL pickup truck. "Why can't I work? she yells in the middle of the horns. You work yourself! Go to China if you want communism ” ! The video toured social media and evening news.
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