An event billed as “one of the largest automotive flea markets in the world” will defy an order from the Pennsylvania Department of Health not to go forward with the 4-day event.
The event, called Spring Carlisle, began on Wednesday and is scheduled to run through Saturday. But the department of health filed suit on Wednesday morning looking to shut it down.
Organizers of the massive outdoor car show called the order “invalid” and said they would “vigorously defend this action” to open their event in court.
But the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) sued Carlisle Events, the organization putting on “one of the largest automotive flea markets in the world and one of the best opportunities to get your hands on all things automotive,” early Wednesday morning. It said that the group had ignored multiple warnings from the state to not continue with Spring Carlisle after earlier this month it asked for a waiver excepting it from the 250-person limit.
But Wednesday night, Carlisle Events announced its intention to continue with Spring Carlisle and defend itself against the lawsuit, which now has a hearing scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday.
“Similar to other large outdoor entertainment venues and amusement parks that have or are scheduled to open under the Green Phase in southcentral Pennsylvania, our approximately 100-acre event facility provides ample space for vendors and patrons to interact in a responsible manner, consistent with the CDC’s social distancing and other COVID-19 guidelines,” Carlisle Events’ statement read.
The venue is huge and should give everyone their social distancing — if they choose.
Happening Now: Spring Carlisle is underway at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. Despite a lawsuit filed this morning by the DOH asking organizers to comply with the 250 person gathering limit, which is outlined in Gov. Wolf’s green phase reopening plan for PA. @FOX43. pic.twitter.com/FSdb3Ykwdi
— Bryanna Gallagher (@BGallagherTV) June 17, 2020
That’s the rub. Citizens responsible enough to consider whether it’s safe enough to attend and what to do when they’re there should be given a choice. But choosing is not in the lockdown vocabulary. And that’s a problem.
But Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine has said that the immense size of the show, whether outdoors and socially distanced or not, puts the state at risk for a bump in coronavirus cases, potentially putting lives in danger, and must be stopped by a court order.
“When individuals choose to ignore those safeguards – such as by holding an event anticipating 100,000 attendees – they put the lives of Pennsylvanians at risk and threaten to reverse the significant progress that has been made to resolve this crisis,” the suit, on behalf of Levine’s DOH, said. “That dangerous conduct must be stopped before it can occur.”
This is not exactly what the governor said when he was giving his blessing to the recent protests.
“I will continue to work with Mayors Kenney, Peduto, Papenfuse, and others to make sure that everyone is able to make their voices heard, while keeping each other safe, and I want to thank of all our first responders,” Governor Wolf said. “I urge everyone to be peaceful. I urge everyone to have respect for our communities and our neighbors. I urge all of us to continue to call out injustice. I don’t want to lose sight of why we are here.
Pretty hard to be “safe” when you’re shoulder to shoulder in a mob of protesters.
The courts have not been kind to most plaintiffs seeking relief from lockdown measures. My guess is, this court will validate the department of health’s order.
If they can enforce it.
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