Several dozen vehicles, draped in flags and signs, circled Anchorage City Hall on Nov. 30 to protest a new lockdown imposed by Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson.
The “Rolling Protest Against Tyranny,” included mayoral candidate Dave Bronson and others who drove around city hall honking horns on the eve of an emergency order that has shut down in-person dining at every bar, restaurant and café in town. It also shutters movie theaters, bingo halls and entertainment centers, while banning organized sports competitions.
Quinn-Davidson’s order also severely limits gatherings, both private and public and requires religious groups to operate at 50% capacity. Additionally, most other businesses must limit customers to 25% of building capacity. Day cares and day camps, however, are not under these restrictions.
To enforce her orders, Quinn-Davidson is hiring additional code enforcers who can issue fines and close down businesses that run afoul of her new policy.
The Nov. 30 event was just the latest in a series of peaceful protests and rallies that have swept across the city this year in response to mandates that have devastated local businesses. The latest mandate, which took effect on Dec. 1, stays in place throughout December, a time many businesses rely on to finally begin to turn a profit during holiday spending.
