Protesters hang effigy of Kentucky governor near state Capitol

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Protesters frustrated by Kentucky's response to the coronavirus hung an effigy of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear on a tree in front of the governor's mansion in Frankfort.

The threatening display was set up after the group Take Back Kentucky held the protest on Sunday to "celebrate freedom and to fight back against the unconstitutional shutdown over the coronavirus," drawing roughly 100 supporters on the Capitol grounds. As the main protest ended, a group split off and marched to the governor's mansion.

The rowdy crowd chanted phrases such as "come out, Andy" and "resign Andy" while carrying signs that read "abort Beshear from office” and "my rights don’t end where your fear begins." Photographs posted to social media also displayed the life-sized effigy of Beshear hanging in a tree. Attached to the effigy was the quote, "Sic semper tyrannis," a Latin phrase credited to Marcus Iunius Brutus, the man who assassinated Julius Caesar. The phrase is also believed to have been shouted by John Wilkes Booth during the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Translated, the quote says, "Thus always to tyrants."

According to a report by the Louisville Courier Journal, the effigy of Beshear was quickly taken down. Democrats and Republicans condemned the display, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"As a strong defender of the First Amendment, I believe Americans have the right to peacefully protest. However, today’s action toward Governor Beshear is unacceptable. There is no place for hate in Kentucky," he said in a statement posted to Twitter.

Crystal Staley, a spokeswoman for Beshear, noted that the effigy was hung outside Beshear's home, where he lives with his wife and children.

"The act that was displayed on Capitol grounds today, near where the governor and his young children live, was wrong and offensive," Staley said. "This type of behavior must be condemned. As Kentuckians, we should be able to voice our opinions without turning to hate and threats of violence. Put simply — we are and should be better than this."

Beshear has begun to reopen the state, though many social distancing restrictions are still in place. Kentucky has had 391 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began.