Protesters in Idaho staged a mask-burning event in the state capital on Saturday, while frustration with coronavirus-related interruptions in daily life continues to worsen.
At least three state legislators and Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin were there to cheer for them, according to local media reports of the scene.
The video posted on Twitter suggests that most of the mask burning took place inside small independent campfires lit in garbage cans. At least one person was filmed burning a photo of Joe Biden.
Many protesters, often with children in tow, displayed posters with the words “I will not suffocate”,
“We are here today to control the government. To reestablish our republican form of government, a government that has balance between branches, ”said Daar Moon, a protest organizer, in a video on Twitter. “It is a widespread popular movement, a revolt in that sense, it is going very well today here in Boise.”
Last week, Idaho lawmakers introduced a bill to make mask mandates illegal. While there are no current requirements across the state, masking mandates are in place in seven of Idaho’s 11 counties, according to the Associated Press.