SPOKANE, Wash. — Hundreds of people gathered at Spokane City Hall on Friday to push for the reopening of local businesses.
This marks the second Spokane protest in May alone against Washington Gov. Jay Inslee's statewide stay-home order that has shuttered many businesses.
Many of the protesters were holding signs, with some that read, "Reopen Spokane." They are pushing back on a decision from state leaders, including Gov. Jay Inslee, to deny an application from Spokane County to move into Phase 2 of reopening before the state.
Protesters were not wearing masks or observing social distancing guidelines outlined by health officials. KREM's Brandon Jones reports that many people who attended the protest are members of the Reopen Spokane group on Facebook.
Brent Peterson, the owner of Cole's Coffee in Spokane Valley, spoke at the protest. He said his business reopened for indoor seating on May 4 in defiance of the governor's statewide stay-home order.
“I have not had anybody come in my coffee shop and say, ‘We don’t like this,'" he said.
He added that he will not take the names or phone numbers of customers that visit his coffee shop, a requirement that is included in Inslee's guidelines for partially reopening dine-in establishments during Phase 2.
“This is America, not China," Peterson added.
Protesters later began chanting, "Freedom is the cure," hearkening back to a rally held in protest of the stay-home order on May Day.
Embattled Spokane Valley Rep. Matt Shea, who also attended the rally on May Day, also made an appearance at Friday's protest.
“Tyranny is a disease – a virus, if you will. I submit to you that we should tell Gov. Inslee that it is our aim to quarantine tyrants in America," Shea said.
“We don’t get permission. We get liberty. We are open for business," he added.
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In a meeting on Monday afternoon, the local Board of Health approved a request to state leaders for moving Spokane County into Phase 2 of reopening. The decision was also approved by Spokane County commissioners.
Washington Secretary of Health John Wiesman denied the request this week because the criteria for larger counties to reopen sooner has not yet been established.
Right now, only counties with a population of less than 75,000 and no new cases of COVID-19 in the last three weeks may apply for a variance from the state. But some larger counties, including Spokane, are unable to meet this metric, leaders say.
Inslee and leaders with the state Department of Health are working to determine criteria for larger counties to reopen more quickly than the state.
