Protests are happening all around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether it be small towns or large cities, protests are happening all around the world, sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed by a white police officer. By attending these protests, people are supporting the black lives matter movement and fighting for justice. 

Mayor Marty Walsh, the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, states that he is afraid that the city will see a second surge in COVID-19 cases. He says that these protests happening will just quicken the spike in the second surge and that it seems that coronavirus restrictions are loosening. 

Although the city is giving out as many face masks to the protesters as they can, he is still unsure of how the protesting will affect the numbers of coronavirus victims. He suggests that if you are attending the protests, please wear a mask and try to follow social distancing rules. 

According to the New York Times, coronavirus expert Trevor Bedford, member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, states that each day of protests could result in about 3,000 new cases and 50 to 500 deaths. This estimate was supported by Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard, and said that the estimates were in the ballpark.

Vice President, Mike Pence, states that the expected spikes in coronavirus cases due to the protests is a concern. President Donald Trump’s coronavirus response coordinator, Deborah Birx, tracked outbreaks in more than eight states over the last week, 38 percent of which were due to community spread. Birx still has a beep concern that this is just another way a second wave of the pandemic will arise.