Rep. Ted Lieu Claims Without Evidence that Huntington Protesters ‘Undoubtedly’ Spread Coronavirus

Law enforcement personnel on horseback keep protestors on the sidewalk during a May Day de
AP Photo/Chris Carlson
Amy Furr

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) accused protesters of spreading the coronavirus at a demonstration against his state’s stay-at-home orders in Huntington Beach, California, on Friday.

“#COVID__19 is a highly contagious virus. These folks at Huntington Beach undoubtedly spread the virus even more,” the Democrat tweeted:

Despite his claim, there was no way to know if the protesters did, in fact, spread the virus.

“Huntington Beach and several other Orange County cities have been among the most vocal in the state in opposition to the governor’s restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus,” according to ABC 7.

“In particular, his orders this week to close Orange County’s beaches have triggered criticism and complaint from OC residents,” the report said.

Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom urged residents to stay home in an effort to stop the spread of the disease.

“Going to REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT: CA is flattening the curve because folks are staying home. Practicing physical distancing. We aren’t out of the woods yet,” he wrote on Twitter.

“We must continue to take this seriously and allow our re-opening to be guided by science and public health,” Newsom continued.

Friday, photojournalist Jeff Gritchen tweeted a video of the Huntington Beach protesters carrying signs and American flags while chanting “Open California!”:

In a subsequent tweet, Gritchen shared a photo of mounted police officers monitoring the crowd:

After they flocked to many of the open beaches last weekend, according to Breitbart News, Newsom said on Monday that Ventura County and Orange County residents’ behavior was an example of “what not to do.”

“Local and national media carried photographs of people enjoying the sun in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and other locations. Though many people wore masks and kept separate from one another, some photographs provoked criticism and concern,” the report stated.

However, the governor said he hopes to lift some of the stay-at-home orders soon and reopen California’s economy.

“The only thing that can stop that is more images like we saw over this weekend,” he concluded.

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