Maskless protesters force county to cancel meeting on wearing masks, Utah video shows
A public meeting about wearing masks was abruptly canceled after anti-mask protesters crammed into the room in Utah.
Utah County commissioners adjourned the meeting over concerns about spreading COVID-19 as people crammed shoulder to shoulder, video shows. Nearly all wore no face coverings, and one protester raised a sign that read “NO MASKS.”
“This is the exact opposite of what we need to be doing. We’re supposed to be physically distancing, wearing masks, and so all of our medical experts, our department of health, everyone is encouraging us to do that,” Commissioner Tanner Ainge said.
The crowd erupted into booing and shouting.
“This room is not complying with these health guidelines. This creates a health concern for this meeting,” Ainge said.
The commission was meeting to vote whether the county should ask Utah Gov. Gary Herbert to grant “compassionate exemptions” to a mask mandate, which would require children to wear face coverings when they return to school.
Two of three county commissioners had signaled they planned to vote against requesting the exemption, KSTU reported.
Ainge is one of the commissioners against the exemption, arguing wearing face masks is a better option than closing schools and shutting down the economy.
A gathering of about 150 people before the meeting was organized by Utah County Commissioner Bill Lee, who is seeking the mask exemption for thousands of students in the county, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. He exited the courthouse wearing a mask before removing it when the crowd chanted “Take the mask off,” the newspaper reported.
“I don’t like government mandates,” Lee said to cheers from the crowd, according to the newspaper.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a face mask to prevent spread of the coronavirus. Its school reopening guidelines also recommend children wear cloth face coverings.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Maskless protesters force county to cancel meeting on wearing masks, Utah video shows."