At first, Pam Whittington was unsure whether she would attend Saturday’s “freedom rally” outside of the Garfield County Jail in Glenwood Springs.
Whittington, who has lived in Glenwood Springs for the last 31 years, believes in COVID-19 and wears her mask indoors out of respect for businesses, but also has her doubts about the severity of the infectious disease, which has killed more than 400,000 Americans and 2 million people worldwide.
“I believe it was an escaped virus, absolutely,” said Whittington, a former convenience store owner who now works as an office manager. “This thing has gotten over the world in such a short time. There was something else happening. ...The ones who know, know and the rest of us don’t.”
Many of Whittington’s beliefs and doubts about COVID-19 were reaffirmed at Saturday’s rally, which was organized by Stay Free Colorado, a self-proclaimed nonpartisan group. Saturday’s speaker lineup included Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario, a Republican; Garfield County Commissioner Tom Jankovsky, also a Republican; Sherronna Bishop, who also goes by the moniker “America’s Mom;” and California-based physician Dr. Jeff Barke.
“I wanted information. I didn’t want to just have talking and talking and then you don’t know anything still,” Whittington said. “But, it was very informative.”
The nearly three-hour outdoor event drew dozens of people, with the vast majority not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Vallario said event organizers had asked him to talk about the U.S. Constitution and how it applied to his role as sheriff.
“Honestly, you know, for years, it’s been [the] Second Amendment that’s foremost in my mind, as probably a lot of you. But, now, really the First Amendment is very concerning to me as well because of what’s going on,” Vallario said to the audience. “People that come at me on my program and say, ‘you can’t say that, you can’t do this,’ I invite them to debate me. I will be happy to debate anybody, anywhere, anytime on any of the things I say … but they don’t want to. They just want to cancel. They just want to shut you down and that’s a big concern of mine.”
Vallario said he absolutely supports freedom of speech and a person’s right to assemble, so long as it is done peacefully. Individuals of all ages showed up for the rally, which was adorned with red, white and blue balloons, American flags and signs that read, “Show off your beautiful smile, freedom rally today” and “United to stop the lies.”
“COVID came from China from the Wuhan laboratory, and some people may say that that was an accident, but that wasn’t an accident in my mind,” Jankovsky said. “That knocked down our economy, took out a president, but we are in a cold war with that country, with China, and you can’t forget that.”
Kris Nemelka, a Glenwood Springs resident for 20 years, said she attended Saturday’s rally due to her admiration for the event’s speakers and her desire to “be free” after feeling “very oppressed” — particularly over having to wear a mask.
“Some of the big stores are fine with you going in without a mask, which I do,” Nemelka said. “What is really hurtful is, I do believe that if people do want to wear a mask they have a right to wear a mask. I have my own personal reasons why I don’t and they’re good valid reasons. But people are getting mean.”
Glenwood Springs was one of the first cities in the U.S. to implement a mask mandate, having done so in April. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended individuals wear masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
Nemelka also said she fears the government is going to prevent her from using holistic treatments, which she prefers.
“I got myself well in my early 30s using that and so I support that and I don’t want to lose that right to do that,” she said. “I’ve been an advocate for medical freedom since I had my babies. I had my babies in 1985.”
Nemelka said she loved Saturday’s speakers and has been following Dr. Barke for some time. The Orange County physician, as previously reported by several news outlets, has drawn sharp criticism from the medical community after pulling out a 9mm-caliber handgun during a virtual interview and saying he would rather see people carry concealed weapons than wear masks.
“It’s time once again for us to stand up and take back our country and regain our freedom and liberty,” Barke said Saturday. “When we fear our government, that’s tyranny. When the government fears the people, that’s liberty.”
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