"The somewhat-still free citizens of Texas" are planning to rally outside of the governor's mansion on Saturday, Oct. 10, to oppose what they call "unprecedented unconstitutional executive actions" that are "an attack on liberty and our lives!," a flyer advertising the event states.
The protest will come nearly a week after the country learned that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 2.
With the protest, the organization is trying to rally a wide swath of Texas residents and businesses that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's COVID-19 orders have affected through lost wages, revenue or educational opportunities. The gathering will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the governor's mansion, 1010 Colorado St., Austin.
Texas' COVID-19 response has fluctuated. It was one of the states that quickly started lifting restrictions a few weeks after mandating health and safety measures.
However, Texas was also one of several from the South-Central to Southeastern region of the United States that saw an uptick in cases during the summer after lifting many restrictions.
As of Oct. 5, the Texas Department of Health reported more than 760,000 positive cases and almost 16,000 coronavirus-fatalities. CNN's COVID-19 tracker reported that Texas has the second most number of cases and third highest deaths.
Abbott did issue orders to lift some of the COVID-19 restrictions. In mid-September, Abbott ended the limits on how many people can attend religious services, recreational sports and child care operations, among other sectors. The Republican governor also increased customer capacity at retail stores and eateries to 75%.
"With the medical advancements we have made and the personal hygiene practices we have adopted, Texans have shown that we can address both the health and safety concerns of COVID-19 while also taking careful, measured steps to restore the livelihoods that Texans depend on," Abbott said in a Sept. 17 release.
The state's reopening progress though still did not include bars, which "the somewhat-still free citizens of Texas" highlighted in its call to protest at the governor's mansion.
"Are you a bar owner or employee who has entirely been put out of business by Abbott's modern-day prohibition?" the flyer states.
The organization also attempted to appeal to gym and salon owners who have struggled during the pandemic-related restrictions.
"Are you a gym or salon owner or employee whose dreams and enterprises are now crushed by our governor who collects his full paycheck while living comfortably in the governor's mansion with no worries about paying his own bills?" reads the flyer.
"The somewhat still-free citizens of Texas" listed several attendees anticipated at the protest, including Republican Party of Texas Chairman Lt. Col. Allen West, Sid Miller, Julie McCarty, Don Huffines, Matt Rinaldi, Michael Quinn Sullivan, JoAnn Fleming, Konni Burton, Bob Hall and Mark Meckler.
