FRANKFORT, Ky. — A supporter of former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin led more than 100 demonstrators Wednesday who protested Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's work restrictions in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Using bullhorns and waving signs calling Beshear a "king" and a "tyrant" for enforcing social-distancing orders, the protesters chanted "Open up Kentucky" and "We want to work."

Erika Calihan, of Lexington, led the protest that disrupted Beshear's daily press briefing in which he updated Kentuckians on coronavirus cases and fatalities.

"We're free citizens," Calihan told the crowd. "We can't be told we can't support our families. We can't be told we can't work. How unethical is it for our leaders to say, 'Oh, you can't work?' It's garbage."

Beshear's executive orders have closed most businesses, except for those that have been deemed essential, such as grocery and hardware stores, as a way to curtail the contagion's spread.

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If companies such as Walmart and Target can keep their doors open during the pandemic, Calihan said, small businesses should be allowed to do the same.

"We’re smart enough to build a company. I think we’re smart enough to operate it safely," she told The Courier Journal.

Calihan conceded small business owners should ensure they put measures in place to protect their customers and employees by practicing social distancing.

Related:Protests erupt outside Capitol over Beshear's handling of pandemic, disrupting briefing

In 2019, Calihan was appointed by Bevin to a judicial nominating commission for the Kentucky Court of Appeals and Kentucky Supreme Court. She gained attention last November as an outspoken skeptic of the gubernatorial election results in which Beshear defeated Bevin, a Republican, by 5,136 votes.

Bevin had initially refused to concede the election to Beshear and requested a recanvass of the vote before eventually accepting the results.

Calihan, who led a group called Citizens for Election Integrity, made several unsubstantiated claims during that time of voter fraud.

She also alleged, without evidence, of vote "hacking" to explain Beshear's victory.

The protest comes during a week when Beshear has faced increased criticism from Republicans and conservative activists for his handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

Some GOP leaders have said the governor needs to provide the public with an economic recovery plan to prepare the state for when the contagion recedes.

But Beshear has resisted those requests, saying it would mean more deaths. He added that he believes reopening the economy prematurely without widespread testing and tracing procedures would be dangerous.

"Folks, that would kill people," Beshear said. " ... My job isn't to make the popular decision but the right decision."

The governor stressed how Kentucky is following White House health guidelines, and that most residents understand the need to make sacrifices during the outbreak.

"It's a fact, an absolutely fact, that this virus spreads quickly and is deadly," Beshear said.

Coronavirus updates:Kentucky is up to 2,291 confirmed cases, 122 total deaths

Asked about concerns that people at Wednesday's protest may have COVID-19 and spread it to others, Calihan said: "I don’t know. I can’t control what diseases people have and don’t have.

"All I know is that people are fed up."

Her Facebook page, Kentucky is Open for Business, has 3,400 members where various individuals are speaking out against Beshear's restrictions.

Calihan stressed to the group ahead of Wednesday's protest that the demonstration should remain peaceful, but that they wanted to "sandwich" Beshear's daily press briefings.

The demonstration in Kentucky also came as President Donald Trump has insisted the country's economy must reopen sooner rather than later.

Republican legislative leaders in Kentucky, who have clashed with Beshear over the contagion, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Other GOP lawmakers, however, predicted the demonstrations will continue until the governor does a better job at providing Kentuckians with an off-ramp.

"People are getting restless and nervous," state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill, told The Courier Journal. "If they don't feel like there's a plan and a potential timeline for return to normalcy, I'm afraid you will see more and more of that and/or people simply disregarding the restrictions."

Protesters pledged to return, signaling that Beshear's news briefings will continue to be disrupted. But the governor remained firm that he is looking to protect Kentuckians.

“Folks, tonight probably sounded a little bit different," Beshear said. "But we cannot stand back for one moment in our effort to protect each other."

Reporters Joe Sonka and Morgan Watkins contributed to this story.

Reach Phillip M. Bailey at pbailey@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4475. Follow him on Twitter at @phillipmbailey.