The group, “Liberate South Florida,” has begun demonstrating against the Governor’s safer-at-home order in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The name is a reference to President Donald Trump’s recent tweets, “Liberate Minnesota,” “Liberate Michigan and “Liberate Virginia,” which sparked small protests in a handful of states.

No stay-at-home orders have been lifted. But there are some who say that they want the state to open and they are willing to deal with the risk.

Liberate South Florida called it a “citizen driven tri-county caravan,” which drove through Delray Beach in Palm Beach County honking their horns in protest.

They drove through Broward County and Miami-Dade County passing by shuttered businesses, with signs in their car windows calling for an “End the Shutdown,” “All Businesses are Essential” and “Honk for Freedom.”

More than two dozen cars, part of the tri-county caravan, gathered in the parking lot of Oakwood Plaza shopping center.

Their goal is to have their voices heard to get South Florida open for business again.
But some lawmakers feel the risk is just too heavy and that mitigation efforts such as social distancing standards should continue.

The group of unemployed, struggling business owners, parents and self-proclaimed freedom fighters believe the reward outweighs the risk. They want to be allowed to make their own health choices despite what is now being recommended by health experts.

“Someone with a pre-existing condition that is not comfortable going back to work right now, then they should have that liberty, have that freedom to have that option,” Cohen said.

Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties are still shut down and officials say opening up will be a gradual process.

They will likely begin with parks and open spaces, like Jacksonville Beach which opened over the weekend.
But there is no timeline as to when that will happen.