Lockdown protesters in Michigan brought rifles and other weapons into the state capitol

As both state Rep. Mari Manoogian and Michigan Live explained, long-standing Michigan capitol rules prohibit people from bringing signs into the building over fears that the sticks that often prop up signs and posters could scratch the paint on the walls.

There are no rules, however, barring people from bringing guns into the Michigan capitol.

Other photos and videos shot by journalists show protesters crowding into the state capitol — and not practicing social distancing

While the high-profile protests and backlash against Whitmer's aggressive measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have garnered a significant amount of attention, public opinion in the state largely supports Whitmer, according to a poll released April 20 from the pro-business Detroit Regional Chamber and the Glengariff Group.

The poll, which surveyed 600 Michigan residents on April 15-16 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, found that 57% of Michiganders approved of Whitmer's handling of the crisis compared with 37% who disapproved, giving her a net approval rating of plus 20 percentage points.

While Republicans disapproved of Whitmer's handling of the crisis by a large margin, 89% to 8%, self-described independent voters approved of Whitmer's performance by a margin of over 20 percentage points, 56% to 35%.

When it came to President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis, however, Michigan residents disapproved of the president's actions by a net margin of 6 percentage points, with 44% approving and 50% disapproving — a potential concern for his reelection bid with voters in the battleground state.

Republicans approved of Trump's handling of the crisis 88% to 9%, while independents disapproved of Trump's performance 52% to 40%.