Judge Dismisses Charges of Hairstylists Who Defied Gov. Whitmer's Lockdown at the State Capitol
A Michigan judge has dismissed charges against six hair stylists who cut hair in front of the state Capitol in May to protest what they called “unconstitutional” business shutdowns imposed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Ironically, District Court Judge Kristen Simmons was appointed by Whitmer herself.
On Monday, Simmons dismissed the charges after the Michigan attorney general’s office failed to appear in court or respond to the hairstylists’ motion to dismiss, The Detroit News reported.
The hairstylists had been charged with disorderly conduct for participating in “Operation Haircut,” a protest in May to support barber Karl Manke, who was targeted by Whitmer’s administration for defying her draconian shutdowns.
Manke said he’s grateful for his colleagues’ support and applauded their bravery.
“A lot of these beauticians came out and they had the tenacity to stand up, and I salute them for that,” Manke told “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy on Wednesday.
Hairstylist Angela Rigas said she participated in “Operation Haircut” to protest Whitmer’s “unconstitutional,” extended shutdowns.
“We were certain at the time that her orders were unconstitutional, which we know later were ruled as such, as all of her emergency orders after April 30 were thrown out,” Rigas told Doocy.
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“She needed approval. She didn’t get it. She acted alone, as usual … We had had enough.”
In October, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Whitmer’s unilateral decision to repeatedly extend shutdowns was unconstitutional.
Hairdresser Suzanne Dodoro said she participated in “Operation Haircut” to protest Whitmer, who’s acting like a fascist dictator.
“I was out there for my fellow hairdressers, to support Karl — the one man that did stand up — and all the other businesses as well, all the entrepreneurs out there, everybody that just wanted to get back to work,” she said.
The Twitter post below shows one scene from “Operation Haircut.”
State police issue a verbal warning to stylist Brenda Root,of Swartz Creek. @LSJNews pic.twitter.com/ORmGipCKdq
— Nick King (@nickkingphoto) May 20, 2020
Attorney David Kallman, who represented the six hairstylists, commended them as patriots “exercising their right to free speech.”
“People need to understand they should not be scared or intimidated. We have our constitutional right to speak out in opposition,” Kallman told Doocy.
He said no American should be prosecuted or have businesses destroyed by power-hungry bureaucrats for “simply speaking out in opposition to a government policy.”
Manke — whose defiance of Whitmer’s shutdown was the catalyst for Operation Haircut — said if he could do it all over again, he wouldn’t change a thing.
In response to those who hailed him as courageous for standing up to Whitmer’s tyranny, Manke said he doesn’t feel courageous, but added that courage is about taking action, not merely paying lip service to ideas.
“Courage isn’t something that is. Courage is the result of something you do,” Manke said. “I didn’t feel courageous when I was doing this. There was a lot of fear. But I did it anyway because I knew it was the right thing to do.”
Democratic lawmakers are crushing small-business owners simply for wanting to work so they can feed their families. Meanwhile, left-wing hypocrites like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ignore their own rules while browbeating the rest of us to slavishly submit to them.
What all this underscores is that despite the left’s dangerous and toxic cancel culture, Americans should not be afraid to stand up for their rights. Because if we constantly brush these power grabs under the rug, pretty soon we won’t have any freedoms left to fight for.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
