Prior to the protest, Whitmer’s office said they would not be trying to stop the protest , but instead asked that demonstrators do so safely and keep the health and safety of others and first responders in mind. "Not one of us wants to go through this again, not in a month, not in the Fall. And I want you to have your freedom. I want to have mine, too. We will get to a place where we can be with our friends and family again,” Whitmer said in a daily briefing earlier this week. “It's okay to be frustrated, it's okay to be angry. If it makes you feel better to direct it at me, that's okay, too. I've got thick skin. And I'm always going to defend your right to free speech."