A group of South Carolinians assembled at the South Carolina State House, Tuesday, and requested an end to COVID-19 mandates.

The group’s call is for Gov. Henry McMaster to end the burdensome state of emergency regarding COVID-19 because it is hurting the economy. The group also wants state’s cities and counties to end mask ordinances.

Some carried signs that read: “End Mask Manadates,” “Constitution not Communism,” and “Citizens’ Voices Matter.” At one point the group chanted “Open up, Open up.”

Wearing a mask around people who do not have preexisting conditions is not based in science is the sentiment of the rally.

Pressley Stutts , rally organizer and President of United Patriots Alliance, said the government way overreacted in their response to the virus. He said a higher priority should be placed on the state’s economy.

Stutts he doesn’t believe all of the data being released by the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control is accurate.

Stutts said “we don’t know if all (of the nearly) 3,000 (state COVID deaths that) … have been reported have actually died from COVID because we can’t trust the numbers.”

About a dozen state legislators attended the rally.

Rep. Stewart Jones (R-District 14) also said he doesn’t trust the information coming out of DHEC or the governor’s office.

State officials have acknowledged there are some issues with the reporting of COVID-related information, and DHEC is working to correct those issues.