Protesters Gather in Alabama to Call for Reopening of Hair Salons and Barbershops

Protesters gathered in Alabama on Friday calling on Governor Kay Ivey to reopen hair salons and barbershops.

"Supporters are gathered outside The Male Room barbershop this morning to support the store's decision to reopen. Governor Kay Ivey has not yet approved the reopening of barber shops and hair salons. Supporters have been chanting 'Let us work,'" tweeted Chip Scarborough, a reporter for WVTM 13 News in Birmingham.

The protests come as Ivey's phased reopening plan has sparked controversy and criticism among Alabama residents. On April 28, Ivey announced the state's Safer-At-Home order, which was designed to reopen portions of Alabama's economy in different stages.

The order allowed some businesses to reopen on April 30, while following strict social distancing and sanitizing guidelines. All retail stores were allowed to resume operations as well but must follow a 50 percent occupancy rate.

However, a number of other businesses such as barbershops, hair and nail salons, movie theaters, fitness centers and night clubs remain closed. These businesses will be permitted to reopen on May 15, when the state's stay-at-home order expires.

Despite Ivey's decision to reopen the state in phases, a number of Alabama residents and businesses, such as The Male Room barbershop, believe that the state should reopen sooner.

On April 17, The Male Room announced on its Facebook page that it would open on a limited schedule and by appointment only. More than a week later, the barbershop posted another announcement on Facebook stating that "The Male Room will be opening its doors Friday, May 1st."

In addition to The Male Room reopening its doors prior to the state's permitted date, Mike's Barbershop in Mobile made a similar decision and defied Ivey's orders by reopening on April 21. Shortly after, the barbershop's owner, Joel Edwards, was issued a cease-and-desist order and fined $500.

"I have worked my entire life to build what I have and I'm at risk of losing it," Edwards told AL.com. "I don't have any money left. I have to come back to work and I'm not the only one. I'm part of the majority who [are] about to lose their livelihood."

Alabama is not the only state where residents protested lockdown measures during the crisis. Demonstrators have also gathered in North Carolina and Illinois on Friday, demanding their governors remove restrictions and resume their economies.

The novel coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19, originated in Wuhan, China, and has spread to the U.S. According to a tracker provided by Johns Hopkins University, there are currently over 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 63,019 deaths in America.

Newsweek reached out to Ivey's office for comment on the protests but did not receive a response in time for publication.