2050-9-8 News Article
Protests Turn Violent In Lowden County
Police make 300 arrests; Quarantine Perimeter Breached
LOWDEN COUNTY - A planned march to protest the quarantine restrictions in and around Prestone County turned violent on Saturday, resulting in approximately 300 arrests and the breach of the Prestone County quarantine perimeter. The march began approximately 9 am 2 miles from the border between Prestone and Lowden counties. The protest was intended to air grievances regarding the nearly 2-month-old quarantine restrictions placed on Prestone County. These restrictions were put into place after three variants of the PNDV-1 virus were discovered in Prestone. These variants, especially PNDV -1c, are highly transmissible, and the quarantine was put in place to keep the virus from spreading. In that time, Prestone County has seen the death toll rise dramatically from the virus, and medical resources are being strained. These conditions have led to a tightening of the quarantine, but also to rising anger among Prestone County residents who are angry they are not being allowed to leave an area that is increasingly dangerous when it comes to contracting the virus.
This anger and frustration began to boil over when the march reached the Lowden County line at 11 am. A line of Lowden County Police had assembled on State Road 120 to stop the march from entering Lowden County. State Road 120 is the main road between Lowden and Prestone counties.
Marchers began a push forward to breach the police line, but the police held their positions firmly. Upon meeting this resistance, a number of the protestors began hurling bottles of fluid at the police. Examination of some of the bottles revealed they were filled with urine. One of the protesters, Ryan Hilgrave stated this was planned as well. "They think they can keep us in the county, that they're going to contain this stupid virus, by penning us up like cattle? Well, I'm infected. And they say the virus is transmitted through bodily fluids. So I thought I'd show them how the virus spreads". Hilgrave was later arrested and may be charged with attempted murder.
Fallout from Protests
Despite all efforts, the protest may have been the catalyst for the spread of the PNDV-1 virus. A rapid test developed by EnterLabs has determined that at least 3 officers from the Lowden County Police have tested positive for the PNDV-1c strain. The officers in question have been quarantined at Lowden County Medical Center and have not yet shown any signs. Symptoms are not usually seen until approximately 14 days after infection, but the 1c variant can be detected within hours of exposure due to its aggressive reproductionThose arrested have also been transferred to Lowden County Medical Center, and are being screened for the virus. Those who do not test positive will be held in a cellblock at the Lowden County Correctional Facility (LCCF), away from other inmates until they go to trial. If, after the 14-day period they have shown no symptoms and have not tested positive for the virus, they will be moved into the general populace at the LCCF
Meanwhile, tensions along the border between Lowden and Prestone Counties continue to run high, and more protests are planned. Prestone County Supervisors have approved another march on 2050-10-6 and are backing further protests as well. While the supervisors have denounced the violence, that also put the blame for the violence squarely on the restrictions.
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