A group of protesters at a Commack reopening rally confronted News 12's Kevin Vesey today, repeatedly approaching him and shouting criticisms as he moved away to maintain social distancing guidelines.

As seen in the video, some participants were not adhering to social distancing guidelines or wearing masks.

"Who is King Cuomo to tell a business owner they can't be open? Or that you have to wear a mask when you walk into his store?" said one protester.

There was a large police presence already staged at the protest site off of the Jericho Turnpike. Several patrol cars formed a perimeter around a parking lot and have put up barricades.

This demonstration was organized by a Facebook group called the Setauket Patriots, which are strong supporters of President Donald Trump.

Some Commack residents told News 12 that they do not agree with the what the protesters are doing.

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"We're a hard-working, loving community," said Diane Kraut. "When you see the protest, just know that it does not represent what Commack is all about."

So far, several upstate regions have been cleared to enter phase one of reopening by meeting all seven of the safety metrics identified by the state. Long Island still has not reached that benchmark.

 

So far, there have been 37,305 confirmed cases in Suffolk County, 38,587 cases in Nassau and 340,661 cases of COVID-19 confirmed statewide.