World News – United States – Protesters call Oregon Governor « dictator clown » and demand entry to Capitol during COVID relief talks

Protesters descended on Oregon’s State Capitol in Salem and tried to get into the building on Monday when lawmakers attended a special session on COVID. 19 relief.

Governor Kate Brown urged lawmakers to meet to discuss easing for landlords and tenants. They legalized take-out cocktails to help bars and restaurants whose businesses have been restricted and a ban on evictions that came into effect on Jan.. January expires. A group of protesters gathered outside the Capitol and said they had the right to have their voices heard during the special session while officials guarded the doors.

« Avoid the area. Roads nearby will be closed as needed, « Salem Police Department wrote on Twitter.

Newsweek reached out to the Salem Police Department for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Salem Statesman reporter Claire Withycombe posted a photo on Twitter from the Capitol with officers holding batons several rows down from the door. A protester standing opposite the officers held a banner saying Oregonians were demanding the arrest of Brown, whom they described as a « dictator clown ». « 

From inside the Capitol, watch as the police fend off demonstrators who try to get inside the building. Twitter. com / lLRpJ1WDM2

In a subsequent tweet, Withycombe said people made it into the vestibule and knocked on the walls and doors and sang, « Let’s go in ». « 

Protesters asking to be let in to speak to lawmakers. Knock on walls / doors, chants from « Let’s get in » picture. Twitter. com / WdF7hylfBy

Senators are limiting the time they can spend together in a single day at the Capitol due to the new coronavirus outbreak. Senate President Peter Courtney told KOIN that a special session was the « most difficult meeting of all » and was only made more difficult by the pandemic.

Given the time constraint caused by the pandemic, a dozen items list has been narrowed down to just four bills. Coupled with the continuation of the eviction moratorium and legalization of takeaway cocktails, the bills would offer landlords and tenants $ 200 million in relief, protect schools from COVID-related lawsuits, and $ 600 million to the state emergency fund for COVID-19 and COVID -19 broadcast wildfire response and recovery.

Oregon uses a county-by-county basis for restrictions, with areas of higher risk having more restrictions. On Friday, 29 Oregon counties were rated « extreme risk, » which meant social gatherings were limited to six people, retail stores and businesses were limited to 550 percent capacity, and restaurants were limited to al fresco dining.

Brown announced the upcoming changes earlier this week, and Stan Pulliam, Mayor of Sandy, Oregon, openly urged companies to oppose the lockdown measures. In an open letter to Brown, he said people « just can’t keep drowning in arbitrary rules, » which bankrupt companies, caused depression and anxiety, and separated children from their friends and teachers.

« If you spot a mouse in your house, don’t burn it down to solve the problem. You’ll find a way to safely remove the mouse without destroying anything else you treasure, « wrote Pulliam. « Governor Brown, we’re opening. « 

On 1. On January 1st, members of the Pulliam coalition in the « extreme risk » category will meet the requirements for the « high risk » category, one category below. In this category, restaurants can be reopened to limited indoor dining, and gyms and entertainment venues can be reopened with limited capacity.

At least one protester wore the « Don’t step on me » flag on Monday, a saying that goes back to the American Revolution and has become a staple of anti-lockdown protests. Some carried firearms and the Oregon State Police declared it an « illegal assembly ». « 

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Oregon State Capitol, Special Session, Legislative Session, Salem