An hour before the protest against Gov. Beshear’s COVID-19 orders are set to begin, a few dozen people, a bluegrass band and a conferserate flag have gathered.
*confederate
Actually, two confederate flags. American flags currently outnumber them 4-2. 
Folks dressed up as militiamen with long guns now here.
The scene right now, with maybe 100 here.
Maryville Baptist pastor here now, who continued in-person church services against state orders and has sued Beshear.
It’s a festive atmosphere.
Saw two young boys wearing confederate soldier hats.
Frank Simon is here.
Whole lotta guns here. One man has “MILITIA” printed on the chest of his camos.
“Governed by god or ruled by tyrants” “My Health My Choice”
Sign reads: “Where is your mask Adolf Beshear.”
When he’s not speaking at a mic, his face?
When he’s not speaking at a mic, his face?
Sign: “COVID 19 IS A HOAX... ABORT PRO-CHOICERS”
Speaker Lee Watts urges everyone to take their masks off and not wear them. He says that sunshine kills COVID-19 so the safest place e they can be is out here crowded together at this rally.
A Lee Greenwood moment.
Watts: “We will not forget the people who paid the price for our freedom.”
Watts introduces Rep. Stan Lee.
Stan Lee says this will probably be the most important speech of his career.
Probably 500 or so people here.
Stan Lee ripping media and crowd screams “communists!” and other insults.
Stan Lee says he wants the media to find Jesus
Stan Lee says there have been 746 abortions in Kentucky since March performed by campaign donors to Beshear.
A nurse is here in silent protest and getting screamed at and insulted by the man waving the confederate flag.
Here is the interaction with the nurse and man holding confederate flag.
Rep. David Hale (R) now speaking. Says people should not live in fear at all, rather live in faith.
This woman has moved to block the crowd from seeing the protesting nurse wherever he stands.
The overarching theme of the rally so far is that abortion deaths are worse than COVID-19 deaths.
David Hale says not allowing in-person church services is “evil”
Lee Watts announces that a court just ruled that Maryville Baptist won its case against Beshear. Crowd roars and chants U-S-A! U-S-A!
(That did not happen... courier-journal.com/story/news/202… )
(That did not happen... courier-journal.com/story/news/202… )
Watts calls Beshear a communist, crowd roars
And now Rep. Savannah Maddox
Probably closer to 1,000 people here now, very tightly packed together. Few of them are wearing masks.
Savannah Maddox denounces The @courierjournal
Maddox says the government has made us prisoners in our own homes, says “we are not allowed to worship the lord”
The confederate flag guy is like a shouting Greek chorus with every speaker, now yelling that the media are communists.
Maddox now defending Maryville Baptist’s action, says Beshear enforces a “putative quarantine” only because they disobeyed him, not public health.
Maddox: “nobody’s ever going to force me to get a vaccine!”
Maddox now touting her floor amendment to a bill allowing Kentuckians to sue Beshear over harm to businesses, says she wishes it would have passed.
Maddox ends with a shout to Beshear: “Open Kentucky now!”
Watts now playing an audio clip of Ronald Reagan.
Lee Watts: “Pharaoh Beshear says kill all the babies, but the people can’t go to church!”
Pastor Jack Roberts of Maryville Baptist up now, gets a roaring reception from the crowd.
Roberts says he’s going to “preach a little bit” for 10 minutes.
Roberts now says the judge just ruled that Beshear can’t bother his church and to not believe what the media reports on the judgment.
Again: courier-journal.com/story/news/202…
Again: courier-journal.com/story/news/202…
Folks are really tightly packed together here in the crowd, now shouting in approval as Roberts preaches.
Rep. Kim King now speaking, last speaker today.
King says businesses could have stayed open from day one if they followed CDC guidelines.
Reading off some CDC guidelines, King mentions keeping distance from each other, says “we’re doing a good job of that.”
Crowd was chanting “Impeach Beshear” during Kim King’s speech.
Sen. John Schickel is the last speaker. At the end of the session he suggested nursing homes open back up to visitors, citing a constituent who told him “some things are worse than death”
Schickel, like every other speaker, talking about the number of abortions allowed during the pandemic.
Watts says over 99% of people with COVID-19 live, says it is no more dangerous than the common flu. Crowd shouts in agreement.
They are ending with the Whitney Houston national anthem.
*correction, not a nurse. She said she's an x-ray technician from Louisville.
1,000 people protest Beshear's coronavirus rules: You are 'prisoners in your own homes' courier-journal.com/story/news/loc… via @courierjournal
