N.H. Gov. Sununu cancels inauguration ceremony citing anti-mask protests
(YES, IT'S RULED BY THE OLD FAMILY COMPACT)
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu canceled the state's outdoor inaugural ceremony due to armed protesters that have gathered outside of his home. Photo by Rich Girard/Wikimedia Commons
Dec. 30 (UPI) -- New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on Wednesday canceled the state's inaugural ceremony citing concerns over armed anti-mask protests.
In a statement, Sununu, a Republican, said he and the executive council will be sworn in Jan. 7 during a small ceremony attended by leaders of both houses of the legislature and attended by other members virtually, instead of holding an outdoor ceremony.
"My first responsibility is ensuring the safety of my family and our citizens," he said. "For weeks, armed protesters have increasingly become more aggressive, targeting my family, protesting outside my private residence and trespassing on my property -- an outdoor public ceremony simply brings too much risk. We do not make this decision lightly but it is the right thing to do."
Protesters have gathered outside of Sununu's home for weeks opposing a mask mandate requiring all people above the age of 5 to wear face covering when they are unable to remain 6 feet away from people from outside their households through Jan. 15.
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On Monday, one person was arrested and nine people were fined $100 after a protest outside the governor's home.
Brennan Christen, one of the organizers of the protests, accused Sununu of misleading the public, saying none of the protesters had ever "open-carried" a firearm outside of the governor's home.
Christen also suggested that Sununu canceled the inauguration after groups opposing the mask mandate had received commitments from about 1,000 people to protest the inauguration.
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New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley condemned the protesters, lamenting that they had forced the cancelation of the ceremony.
"While I understand the very real concern, it is a truly sad situation when our elected officials need to even think about such a decision due to a small group of truly unhinged gun-toting citizens," he said. "Reasonable people across the state need to rise up against these bullies and say 'enough.'"
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