Facebook removing events that defy coronavirus social distancing guidelines

Pennsylvania AG: I’ll defend coronavirus protestors, but encourage them to stay home

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on demonstrations against shelter-in-place orders and his work to spotlight members of his community helping others during this coronavirus crisis.

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Facebook will remove posts and other content that encourage people to gather in defiance of government health guidelines.

"Unless government prohibits the event during this time, we allow it to be organized on Facebook," a Facebook spokesperson said. "For this same reason, events that defy government's guidance on social distancing aren't allowed on Facebook."

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The statement comes as some groups have used Facebook events to organize rallies against shelter-in-place orders.

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan reported on Monday that Facebook said it was trying to get answers from New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania about planned protests possibly breaking social distancing guidelines. A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of General Services told FOX Business that no communications with Facebook had been receieved or initiated.

Protesters rally at the Tennessee state capitol to speak out against the state’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak Sunday, April 19, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

A spokesperson for the Ohio governor told FOX Business that his office shared the following response with Facebook: "The Governor values the First Amendment and asks that protesters practice social distancing by standing at least 6 feet apart."

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The social media giant's decision comes as lockdown protesters throughout the U.S. have gathered in state capitals over the past week. Some demonstrators have ignored social distancing while others remain in their cars to avoid spreading the virus. Photos showed that many #FreeTN rallygoers in Nashville did not stay stay six feet apart on Sunday.

"We encouraged everyone to take precautions. … We encouraged masks and distancing for those who wanted it, riding in cars for those who wanted it, but we were not going to force anything on anyone," #FreeTN organizer Kimberly Edwards told FOX Business.

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