photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World photo

Commenters line up to hand off documents during the Douglas County Commission meeting's public comment period on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. The commenters were voicing opposition to the county’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts and said they would take legal action if their demands weren't met.

About 15 people came to Wednesday’s Douglas County Commission meeting to protest against the county’s COVID-19 mitigation measures, and they said they would take legal action against the county if their demands were not met.

Five of the protesters spoke during the commission’s public comment period. They urged commissioners to vote against implementing any further protocols or extending current rules such as an order requiring residents to wear masks in indoor public spaces. Last month, the commission voted unanimously to extend the mask mandate through Feb. 9.

The commenters also threatened the commission with legal action. They brought documents to present to county commissioners and Sheriff Jay Armbrister, and Armbrister told the Journal-World after the meeting that the documents were related to potential lawsuits over the county’s COVID rules.

Some of the commenters claimed that the commission was not honoring medical exemptions by requiring masks to be worn at its meetings. Commission Chair Shannon Reid replied that people with medical exemptions were still able to watch and comment on the meetings via Zoom.

No COVID-19-related items were on the commission’s agenda on Wednesday.