Stay-at-home orders to battle coronavirus spark scattered protests in US

As US President Donald Trump unveils plans on Thursday for a partial reopening of the country, some Americans are chafing at the stay-at-home orders imposed because of the coronavirus epidemic.

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There have been scattered protests in several US states this week against lockdown measures aimed at halting the spread of the highly contagious virus.

A handful of stay-at-home opponents gathered outside the Virginia state capitol in Richmond on Thursday, but the largest protest so far was on Wednesday in Michigan, where the virus has killed 1,900 people, the third-highest death toll of any US state.

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About 3,000 protestors, some of them armed, descended on the Michigan state capital Lansing in defiance of the strict stay-at-home order imposed by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The protest -- dubbed Operation Gridlock" and organized by a coalition of right-wing groups calling themselves "Michiganers Against Excessive Quarantine" -- caused a massive traffic jam around the state capitol building.

Among the organizations that backed the protest were the Michigan Conservative Coalition, the Michigan Freedom Fund and gun-toting members of the Michigan Militia.

"We Want to Work" and "End the Lockdown" read signs that protesters carried.

Others compared Whitmer, the governor, to Adolf Hitler.

A number of protestors wore red pro-Trump "Make America Great Again" hats and waved "Trump 2020" flags.

Whitmer imposed a stay-at-home order on March 24 and has since extended her "Stay Home, Stay Safe" directive until April 30.

She is the target of at least two lawsuits claiming her order infringes constitutional rights.

Grocery stores remain open in the industrial state, heart of the US auto industry, but businesses deemed non-essential have been forced to close.

Whitmer, whose name has emerged as a potential running mate for Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, shrugged off the protests, saying they looked "more like a political rally."

"It's OK to be angry," the governor said in an interview with CNN. "If it makes you feel better to direct it at me, that's OK.

"I've got thick skin," she said, "and I'm always going to defend your right to free speech."

Whitmer said she understands that "people are getting a little stir crazy being at home, worried about work, worried about paying the bills, worried about their businesses.

"A small segment of the state is protesting, and that's their right," she said. "The sad part is that the more they're out and about, the more likely they are to spread COVID-19."

Despite the protest, Whitmer's handling of the virus crisis has been met with a generally favorable response.

While the largest demonstration was in Michigan, there were smaller protests in other US states this week.

Some 100 protestors took to the streets in the North Carolina city of Raleigh on Tuesday, and about the same number gathered outside the state capitol in Kentucky on Wednesday chanting, "We want to work!"

A similar demonstration took place in the Midwestern state of Ohio on Wednesday.

Several dozen people took part in the protests on Thursday in Richmond, the Virginia capital, organized by groups calling themselves "ReOpen Virginia" and "End the Lockdown VA."

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has extended the closure of non-essential businesses and a ban on public gatherings of more than 10 people until May 8.