Several hundred protesters rallied in front of the San Diego County Administration building Saturday to demand a full reopening of San Diego despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Protesters carried signs such as “Freedom is Essential” and “Stop the California Communist Party.”
Organizers who communicated through the “ReOpen San Diego” Facebook page stated that the rally was “a peaceful protest to remind the county supervisors they work for us and that we want San Diego County reopened.”
The Facebook page also warned attendees: “Violence will not be tolerated. It is strongly recommended that you practice social distancing.” However, photos from the scene showed many participants standing close together and not wearing face coverings.
“Our efforts are working …” the group said. “We must keep the pressure on or San Diego will follow Los Angeles and close until August — unacceptable!”
Speakers at the rally included Roger Hedgecock, a former San Diego mayor and now a conservative radio talk show host; Graham Ledger, host of ‘”The Daily Ledger” on the conservative One America News cable network; San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond; and Oceanside Councilman Christopher Rodriguez, who has called for that city’s immediate reopening.
One protester in the crowd asked, “Why is Sacramento telling San Diego what to do?”
Another said, “What we want is for our children to get back to school.”
City News Service contributed to this article.
