{"id":91104,"date":"2020-05-22T03:51:49","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T03:51:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/hundreds-protest-state-ordered-closures-in-farmington\/"},"modified":"2020-05-22T03:51:49","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T03:51:49","slug":"hundreds-protest-state-ordered-closures-in-farmington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/hundreds-protest-state-ordered-closures-in-farmington\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds protest state-ordered closures in Farmington"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Hundreds
Hundreds of people lined Main Street in Farmington on Thursday to protest state public health orders that have put northwest New Mexico on a slower reopening trajectory than the rest of the state. Stephen Harper on his horse, Gray Dog, was among the participants in the Mile Long Rally.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

FARMINGTON \u2013 Protesters on Thursday lined both sides of Farmington\u2019s Main Street in front of the Animas Valley Mall to demand businesses and state parks reopen throughout New Mexico.<\/p>\n

More than 500 people \u2013 the majority not wearing masks and within 6 feet of their neighbors \u2013 lined both sides of the six-lane road for about four blocks, waving American flags and signs expressing frustration with the closure of businesses. The Mile Long Rally, the second rally in two weeks, drew honks and yells of support from those driving through.<\/p>\n

San Juan County, which has lagged behind the rest of the state\u2019s phased reopening because of its high number of coronavirus cases, began allowing curbside pickup for some businesses May 16. McKinley and Cibola counties, also in northwest New Mexico, have been on a delayed reopening schedule, too. Other counties in the state were allowed to open retail stores and some state parks as of May 16.<\/p>\n

But protesters say the slow, partial-openings aren\u2019t enough for small businesses.<\/p>\n

\"Five
Five hundred to 1,000 people participated in Thursday&#x2019;s Mile Long Rally in Farmington to protest the delayed reopening of businesses in northwest New Mexico.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Jarrett
Jarrett Johnson, owner of Navajo Lake Marina and Sims Marina, co-organizer of Thursday&#x2019;s Mile Long Rally in Farmington, prepares for the event.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019re such an important part of the economy,\u201d said Jarret Johnson, an organizer of this week\u2019s rally. \u201cFirst we\u2019re being hit by oil prices, and then shut down all of the small businesses. Yet big-box retailers, who aren\u2019t local to the economy, are being allowed to operate while the small mom-and-pop places aren\u2019t being allowed to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson said \u201ca lot of businesses in the Farmington area are really struggling\u201d as a result of the closures. Johnson, who owns Navajo Lake Marina and Sims Marina, said during the height of the summer he typically employees 70 people. He said for the most part, he didn\u2019t feel like the voices of small-business owners were being heard by the state and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.<\/p>\n

He added the smaller businesses are likely able to clean and implement health safety protocols better than large retailers, yet they \u201caren\u2019t getting the same opportunity as the big-box retailers.\u201d<\/p>\n

As of Thursday, San Juan County reported 1,451 COVID-19 cases out of 10,366 completed tests, with 99 deaths related to the coronavirus. It has the second-highest number of cases in the state, behind McKinley County.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur governor thinks since we\u2019re one of the places hit hard (by the virus), we shouldn\u2019t have the same rights as the rest of the state,\u201d said Rose Carter of Farmington. Carter, along with her daughter and daughter-in-law, organized the first protest while sitting around the dinner table on Mother\u2019s Day. For that rally, they created the private Facebook group All Americans Are Essential, and as of Thursday afternoon, it had 3,492 members.<\/p>\n

\"Five
Five hundred to 1,000 people participated in the Mile Long Rally on Thursday in Farmington to protest the delayed reopening of businesses in northwest New Mexico.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Stephen
Stephen Harper on his horse, Gray Dog, participates in the Mile Long Rally on Thursday in Farmington to protest the delayed reopening in northwest New Mexico.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Lujan Grisham\u2019s office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. But last week, Nora Meyers Sackett, a spokeswoman for the governor\u2019s office, criticized the protest of a large group of people in an area of high COVID-19 transmission.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur community has been double-hit with the oil and gas industry and then with the coronavirus,\u201d Carter said. \u201cPeople are going broke here left and right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack McDowell, who also attended last week\u2019s protest, echoed the concerns about the impact to small businesses in the community. He said his friends who owned businesses were doing what they could but they\u2019re still struggling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s preferential treatment for corporations and big-box stores,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Terri Fortner, who is running for the San Juan County Commission, said the governor was asking people to give up liberty for security, but they should be able to have both. \u201cWe can open safely, especially small businesses\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

San Juan County Commission Chairman Jack Fortner echoed the call to reopen. He said he \u201cwanted to let people know we\u2019re small-business people and we\u2019re safe and we\u2019re ready to open.\u201d Fortner also owns a small business as a lawyer.<\/p>\n

Participants attending Thursday\u2019s protest were encouraged by organizers to practice social distancing and wear face masks. Last week, Lujan Grisham issued a health order mandating anyone in public wear a face covering. Navajo Lake Marina set up a tent in the Applebee\u2019s parking lot and had about 500 face masks to hand out. While some participants complied, others opted not to wear masks and stood in large clusters.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s your right to wear it or not to wear it,\u201d Carter said of face coverings. \u201cBe self-responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout the rally, people held signs saying \u201cOpen New Mexico or we\u2019ll close Santa Fe,\u201d referencing a possible rally in the state capital. Johnson said Thursday\u2019s rally will likely be the last in Farmington, and if residents\u2019 concerns aren\u2019t addressed, organizers plan to take the protest to Santa Fe in two weeks.<\/p>\n

Dacia Rogers said she grew up around Farmington and loves it.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of businesses are closing permanently in this town. And we were already losing business before this happened,\u201d Rogers said. \u201cWe can\u2019t take it. I don\u2019t want to see these businesses dying.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

lweber@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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