Disneyland employees, fans rally outside theme park to protest monthslong closure

ANAHEIM, Calif, (KABC) -- Fans, employees and others rallied outside Disneyland Saturday morning in hopes of pressuring state officials into reopening the theme park, which has been closed since March 14 due to the COVID-19

pandemic.

The rally comes weeks after Disney announced it would lay off 28,000 employees due in part to the unwillingness of Gov. Gavin Newson and other state officials to lift restrictions that would allow the park, and others across the state, to reopen.

"We want to see Disneyland reopen. I'm one of the 28,000 cast members that's currently been laid off, have been furloughed since March," said one employee. "If Disneyland is open worldwide, why can't Disneyland in Anaheim be open? I think the governor needs to give us a chance to open, and they keep asking but he keeps pushing the bar farther back."

RELATED: Newsom: 'No hurry' to let theme parks reopen

Despite Disneyland and Disney California Adventure remaining closed, Downtown Disney is open for business.

Newsom has said he is taking a cautious approach to re-opening the California economy after an earlier effort led to a major spike in coronavirus cases that lasted for weeks and resulted in many reopened businesses having to shut down for a second time.

RELATED: Ongoing closure of Disneyland taking toll on Anaheim economy

Six months after closing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there's still no sign of an upcoming reopening at the Disneyland Resort theme parks and leaders with the city of Anaheim say their economy is feeling it.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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