After Facebook deleted an event page that called for people to gather in Lansing to protest Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s stay at home order on April 30th, the group has a new page up calling for the same.
The upcoming protest Thursday is called the “American Patriot Rally on Capitol Lawn,” where a number of demonstrators are expected to gather to protest extending Michigan’s state of emergency. According to the event page, organizers say, “it is not a Republican Rally, Democrat Rally or a Trump Rally, it’s a Rally for American Patriots to stand for freedom!”
However, a similar protest two weeks ago in Lansing was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition where thousands gathered in Lansing to protest Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s stay at home orders. Whitmer rebuked some of the protestors and said they had endangered others by not social distancing.
With a new protest set for Thursday, Facebook staff deleted the event page for organizing an event that ignores the government’s stay at home order, which Facebook does not allow.
According to officials, an anonymous tip lead Facebook to take down the original event page, however as of Tuesday, a new page has been created, and the protest appears to be a foregone conclusion.
By Wednesday morning, the second event page had been taken down.
Facebook issued this response to an email inquiry:
"We understand that while people may seek to protest orders to stay at home, relevant government authorities have at times made clear that they are allowing protests so long as people continue to abide by social distancing guidelines. In these cases, we are allowing the content. At the same time, we’re focused on removing content that advocates for in-person gatherings defying government health guidance as well as other claims that are designed to discourage treatment or taking appropriate precautions."
