Anti-mask ralliers say a mandate infringes on rights

Angelique Davis Farnes stands and cheers as she and other protesters gather in the City Center Park of Orem in opposition to mask mandates on Wednesday. The crowd cheered defiant speakers including rancher Ammon Bundy, an anti-government activist who gained notoriety in 2016 when he led a group in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. “It is not about a mask,” Bundy said. “It is not about a virus. It’s about whose right it is to rule.” The Orem rally took place the same day a group of mayors in southern Utah signed a proclamation encouraging and supporting businesses asking customers to wear masks. City officials in neighboring Provo have declared August “Mask Month” as part of a campaign to ask residents to wear masks voluntarily. Three counties in Utah — Salt Lake, Summit and Grand — require masks.

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