Harmeet Dhillon, the Republican Party official, told the “Todd Starnes Radio Show” Thursday that California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reported attempt to close down the state’s beaches is an ill-advised and blatant power grab.
She said the move to close beaches is not even a logical decision based on science. There is no evidence that beaches incubate the virus and trips to the state’s idyllic beaches could offer couped-up residents a welcome respite from staring at their four walls all day.
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She said Newsom is essentially telling Californians, “You stay in your home, peasants.”
“I feel like there’s no basis in the facts; no basis in the law; no support in our civil rights—in our constitution—and no basis in the health code to quarantine people who are not sick, and that’s what he’s doing.
A leaked memo on Wednesday night indicated that Newsom had plans to close every beach in the state and all state parks. The governor scolded residents, particularly in Newport Beach, who congregated on the shore last weekend during a heatwave.
Newsom said at a news conference on Thursday that it was never his intention to close all the beaches, but said he will order Orange County—which includes Newport Beach—to “hard close” all beaches, SFist.com reported.
Dhillon said the state needs to face legal challenges and called on residents to form—in an organized manner—an effort that is akin to the Boston Tea Party protest.
Todd Starnes, the host of the radio show, pointed out that Dhillon had tweeted earlier that the state needs some civil disobedience and asked her to elaborate.
She said that she envisions a silent protest on the beaches “where people are standing six feet or more apart.”
“I mean, if everybody who lived near a beach did that, or if everybody who lived near a park did that, there would be too many people for the government to arrest. Maybe there would be a signal to the government that we need some solutions here that are tailored. There could be limitations; there could be prudent distance requirements, I would even say mask requirements—although many fellow citizens disagree with those.”
Dhillon has been an outspoken critic of government overreach since the beginning of the pandemic in the U.S., particularly when San Francisco announced its shelter-in-place order.
She told the “Todd Starnes Radio Show” at the time that these kinds of emergencies are when “dictators come in and try to suspend our rights.”