by: WESH 2 News
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OCALA, Fla. (WESH) – President Trump is set to hold a rally at the Ocala International Airport Friday.
A lawsuit was filed Thursday morning to try and force organizers to impose more safety protocols to protect the crowd from COVID-19.
“This is not about politics, this is about public health,” Attorney Daniel Uhlfelder said.
Uhlfelder filed the lawsuit on behalf of a Marion County woman named Chanae Jackson who says both of her teenage children contracted the coronavirus.
The lawsuit says, “Jackson and her family cannot afford to experience COVID-19 again. Trump’s appearance will embolden hundreds of his supporters to attend unmasked and undistanced, increasing the likelihood of more infections in Marion County.”
Uhlfelder says the lawsuit doesn’t seek to stop the Trump rally but to make it safer.
“We’re asking if it goes forward for there to be safety measures to be put in place, like requiring masks, temperature checks, contact tracing, basic measures social distancing,” Uhlfelder said.
Uhlfelder is a panhandle attorney who walked Florida beaches this summer dressed as the grim reaper to try and encourage people to stay home.
He believes political candidates from both parties need to do their part to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
“There’s a way you can campaign without doing it and endangering people,” Uhlfelder said.
Uhlfelder filed a similar lawsuit to try and stop the president’s appearance in Sanford last Monday but a judge said she would defer to law enforcement to keep the crowd safe and the rally went on as planned.
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