As snow fell across the state of Michigan, thousands of residents gathered around the state Capitol in Lansing to protest Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order.

Cars streamed into the capital Wednesday morning as part of "Operation Gridlock," a protest against Whitmer's executive decision to shutter businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Protesters say Whitmer has endangered their economic futures and demand answers as to the length and necessity of the shelter-in-place decree.

"There is no reason why she can't be looking at some safe ways to be opening up businesses. Instead of talking about what's essential and nonessential, let's talk about what's safe and not safe," said Meshawn Maddock, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Conservative Coalition. "Safe businesses and safe workers need to get back to work."

Officials with the Conservative Coalition said they had instructed all participants to remain in cars and adhere to social distancing guidelines, although video from the scene showed citizens milling about outside of vehicles. Michigan State Police have reportedly been told to stand down and not arrest the protesters for refusing to follow the public gathering ban.

Whitmer has been the focus of heavy criticism after she changed her stance on allowing state healthcare workers to prescribe the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus patients. While there is no proven drug treatment for the coronavirus, hydroxychloroquine has shown signs of improving symptoms in some COVID-19 patients. South Dakota is conducting a statewide test for the drug as a possible treatment for the coronavirus, and President Trump backed its use, saying, "What have you got to lose?"

The protest in Lansing has already started pic.twitter.com/j7IRUEQagp — Rick Albin (@RickAlbinWoodTV) April 15, 2020

The Detroit metro area has been one of the hardest-hit areas in the United States, with the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker recording more than 20,000 cases of the coronavirus.

“People are basically being told what they can and can’t buy at stores," Conservative Coalition member Matt Seely told News 8. "Nothing makes sense. You can buy a bottle of liquor, but you can’t buy a gallon of paint.”

Whitmer has asked for patience as the state scrambles to deal with the pandemic, maintaining that her actions have been necessary and were taken to flatten the curve of the highly contagious disease.

"I want you to have your freedom, I want mine too. We will get to a place where we can be with our friends and family again, where restaurants will open again, where we can go back to work safely again," Whitmer said. "We have a few tough days ahead of us, but those days where we can resume some normalcy, they are on the horizon if we keep doing what we need to do to get past this moment."