Lawmakers join call for N.J. to reopen at rally that brought hundreds to Jersey Shore

New Jersey lawmakers appearing at rally in Point Pleasant Beach on Monday called on Gov. Phil Murphy to reopen houses of worship and nonessential business that have been shuttered for more than two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to several hundred protestors at the Freedom March of New Jersey near the town’s mostly closed boardwalk, state Sen. Joe Pennacchio, R-Morris, addressed a Memorial Day gathering of hundreds of people waving American flags and chanting “Open New Jersey now!.”

“Your freedoms were brought to you by the men and women who fought for them," Pennacchio said. "These freedoms are being denied under the guise of public health. There’s very little science involved and certainly no common sense.”

Pennachio also hit on a talking point common repeated by those who want nonessential businesses to again welcome customers in their store.

Read more: https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/05/lawmakers-join-call-for-nj-to-reopen-at-rally-that-brought-hundreds-to-jersey-shore.html