Coronavirus In IL: 'Open Illinois Now' Protest In Algonquin

ALGONQUIN, IL — Republican and conservative action committee Freedom Movement USA will be in Algonquin Sunday hosting an 'Open Illinois Now' rally from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to protest the state's extended stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the committee's event Facebook page, the group plans to protest at Randall and County Line roads while gathering at a six-foot distance.

According to Freedom Movement USA Chairman Brandon Harris is calling on others to hold protests, "Rather than continuing to abide by unconstitutional shutdowns," according to a statement written by Harris on the committee's Facebook page.

"While we're maintaining these extreme measures across our great nation and saving lives we are also giving up our freedom and fiscal stability," Harris added. "Business owners such as myself and others are being mandated to sit and yet we're not being compensated, nor do a lot of us want to be. Moms, dads, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles are losing their life savings and dreams."

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Over in Barrington, a different kind of protest is on the minds of several workers at Alden Estates of Barrington. Workers from this long-term care facility, along with nursing home workers from several facilities across the state, issued a 10-day strike notice Monday warning operators of a possible unfair labor practice (ULP) strike on Friday, May 8 if the Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities refuses to agree to a contract amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to a Monday news report from SEIU Healthcare Illinois — the union representing state nursing home workers — the master association contract expires Thursday.

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