April 23, 2020

Anna Murray 

Governor of Idaho in the US, Brad Little, on March 23 issued a statewide “stay at home” order for all residents practicing social distancing for the next 21 days to stop the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Little announced the extension of some of the practices of Idaho’s stay-home order on April 15 to the end of April to help slow the spread of Coronavirus. According to data as of April 22 released from Johns Hopkins, Idaho has confirmed 1,766 Coronavirus infection cases and 48 deaths.

However, the news was met with outrage by more than 1,000 protesters who gathered outside the Idaho State Capitol in Boise on April 17 in defiance of Governor Little’s extension of the statewide stay-at-home order. Subsequently, at least 35 mothers and children staged a playdate protest over Idaho's stay-at-home order at Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park on April 22.

The Meridian Police Department had the playground of the 58-acre park wrapped in yellow caution tapes and had signs indicating the area has been officially closed since March 23. While copes prompted to the scene of the playdate protest and tried to usher protesters off the playground, Protests have erupted after a 40-years-old mother, Sara Walton Brady, of 4 kids was arrested in front of her young children and all the other children and mothers at the playground. Brady was taken into police custody at Ada County Jail and charged with misdemeanor trespassing after she refused to comply with officers who made several attempts to convince her to move.

Within 90 minutes hundreds of upset demonstrators showed up in front of Meridian City Hall to protest her arrest and ask for her release. Later Brady was released after posting $300 bond and was booked to appear in court on May 29.

Photo:Webshot.