Armed protesters provide security as demonstrators take part in an "American Patriot Rally." Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images
Hundreds of Michigan residents demonstrated outside the state Capitol Thursday with signs, flags and guns protesting against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions. Some were successful in pushing inside the building.
Why it matters: State lawmakers are expected to vote Thursday on whether to extend the state of emergency for another 28 days before it expires at midnight. Protesters in Michigan and throughout the country are calling on states to reopen businesses and resume work, though the majority of Americans support lockdown measures.
By the numbers: Michigan has reported 41,379 confirmed coronavirus cases and 3,789 deaths — the third most out of any state.
Go deeper: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to lift state's shelter-in-place order at midnight