Since this Monday, May 11, the territories that have moved to phase 1 of the de-escalation in the world allow the opening of shops, terraces and other businesses. Among them are the gyms, although to open those places of sports training you have to do it with strict safety measures and respecting certain conditions.
However, not all countries work in the same way. And in the United States, each state makes its own decisions, which has caused some states to continue to ban the opening of shops, bars, and restaurants while others try to revive the economy as quickly as possible.
The case of Florida is paradigmatic: while Governor Ron DeSantis, of the Republican Party, has opened the beaches for thousands of citizens to go to play sports or sunbathe, but he has not done the same with gyms and training centres, which has caused the anger of many athletes throughout the state.
Protests for sports
Many of them gathered on Monday at the gates of the Pinellas County Courts to protest the closure of the gyms, but in a very special way: doing squats and push-ups. A way to get the attention of Florida politicians and that has managed to get the media to cover the protest.
WATCH: Protesters calling for gyms to reopen in Florida are doing squats and push-ups outside the Clearwater courthouse https://t.co/3BVzxHQPEJ #Florida #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/3cjgQ6kaM8
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) May 11, 2020
A Facebook platform called Open Tampa Bay organized the rally to call for the gyms to open. Dozens of athletes gathered before the courts, carrying protest signs and with the aim to allow the reopening of the gyms. At the moment, the governor will not open the gyms in Florida until phase two of the de-escalation.
Speaking to Fox, those responsible for the page explain that “we must never allow our civil liberties to be invaded and we must allow our companies in the Tampa Bay area to reopen and give all legal business owners the right to operate their businesses to provide for their communities, families, employees and themselves.”