VIDEO: Buffalo Business Owners Stand Up To Lockdown; Chase Out Sheriff And Health Dept

Orchard Park, NY – 100+ local business owners had enough. Erie County Sheriff’s Office escorted the Erie County Health Department into Athlete’s Unleashed, a local fitness center in an attempt to breakup a meeting.

Gym owner Robby Dinero, organized a meeting of local business owners to discuss how to survive the increased New York State lockdown restrictions. About 20 minutes into the meeting, the Health Department showed up demanding to shutdown the meeting.

Business owners weren’t having it and stood their ground. Business owners immediately rebuttled and notified them they had walked into the windowless, closed, and private business, without permission and ordered them to provide a warrant, or leave.

After about 3 minutes of heated discussion and refusing to leave, owners united and stood their ground. Then proceeded to tell them they were trespassing and to leave immediately to avoid legal action. Owners then began chanting “Get Out” and directed them to the door.

“We are struggling. Our livelihoods have been taken. Our income has been controlled. Our freedoms have been taken away and many of us are about to lose everything we’ve worked for and they want us to sit there and not stand up?” said one business owner who wanted to remain anonymous.

“How can they tell you to close your business, then argue that you can’t even meet to come up with ways to survive, and meanwhile there’s no help from the government and very few elected officials even standing up for businesses and it’s starting to be noticed.” He added.

Once outside, the officials were notified they were on private property and ordered to leave the entire premises.

New York State Governor Cuomo, recently named Erie County a micro-cluster orange zone, which forced gym owners, salons and high risk non-essential business to shut down and restaurants to cease indoor dining.

Libertarian Candidate Duane Whitmer, spoke to Erie County Sheriff Howard immediately after, who stated he had no knowledge his deputies were showing up and had not instructed them to.

Howard recently told media, he had no plans to have his Sheriffs enforce Cuomo’s ban on gatherings.

The meeting was combined of business owners from all political parties, races and industries.

Dinero, is a former US Marine, who made news when he defied shutdown orders back in March.

Updated November 24 at 10:07pm: Dinero has been fined $15,000 by the Erie County Health Department. A GoFundMe has been set up to fight the case.

Update: Donald Trump has tweeted support for the business owners.

Watch the full video here:

Tim Walton is a Buffalo entrepreneur and event promoter!

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