400 rally in Las Vegas to protest Gov. Sisolak’s closure measures

About 400 people opposed to Gov. Steve Sisolak’s orders meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 gathered Saturday in the central Las Vegas Valley for a protest organized by a group advocating for the governor’s recall.

The protest, held by Fight for Nevada, started about 11 a.m. Saturday at the Sawyer Building, 555 E. Washington Ave. The day before, a protest organized by former Review-Journal conservative columnist Wayne Allyn Root ended at the building after about 980 vehicles drove down Las Vegas Boulevard to demand businesses reopen.

The two protests did not appear related, although, like Root, the Elko-based Fight for Nevada organization lobbies for conservative ideologies.

Angela Blass, president of Fight for Nevada, said Saturday that the organization’s main goal was to continue to collect signatures for their petition to recall Sisolak and that “a lot of people are awake now, due to how Gov. Sisolak’s handled COVID.”

“We are adults. No, not every adult is responsible, but a lot of business owners that have a good track record should be allowed to reopen with caution,” Blass said.

Sisolak should realize “a government should be a team effort, you’re working for your constituents, not yourself,” she added later.

According to a poll conducted April 16 to April 20 by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Americans remain overwhelmingly in favor of efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Only 12 percent said measures where they live go too far, and about 61 percent feel the steps taken by officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are about right, according to The Associated Press.

Fight for Nevada also scheduled protests in Reno, Carson City and Elko on Saturday, according to the organization’s Facebook page.

Capitol Police Sgt. Brian Preato, who oversaw about 56 law enforcement officers monitoring the Las Vegas protest, said about 400 people took part at the demonstration’s peak around noon, and “everything went smooth.”

Blass said she wasn’t worried about people transmitting the virus during the protest, during which some people were standing on the corners of the parking lot, while others gathered in close groups.

“You can’t assume everyone’s healthy, but hopefully everybody’s responsible, that if you’re not healthy you’re not here,” Blass said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s believed that people are most likely to spread the disease when showing symptoms, but some people who are asymptomatic might still be contagious.

Renee Hayes, 55, said that, despite having asthma, she wasn’t afraid of catching the disease at the gathering.

“I think it’s bulls—- that they’re not opening the state,” Hayes said. “I don’t think (the virus) is as bad as they are trying to make it.”

Hayes’ daughter, who was holding a sign reading, “Every Business Feeding A Family Is Essential,” said she was wearing a face mask so people would take her seriously. She said that she’s an “adult entertainer” and that those in her profession are being prevented from getting unemployment benefits.

“It’s frustrating, especially when you pay taxes and you do the things you’re supposed to do,” said Hayes’ daughter, who declined to give her name because of her job.

Joann Nemeth, 63, said she has been out of work as an office manager for five weeks. Nemeth and her husband both carried large American flags during the protest, which Nemeth said she heard about on Facebook.

“There’s nobody in this parking lot that is a nonessential person,” she said.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.