Virginia gun rally: Trump shows support for activists as thousands descend on Richmond on Martin Luther King Jr Day
Protestors campaign for their right to bear arms
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Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of guns rights activists descended on Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia, for a rally after the state Senate passed a series of bills limiting the purchasing of firearms and establishing mandatory background checks.
Gun owners rallied on the streets amid heavy security, with many demonstrators holding weapons, pro-gun rights banners and wearing camouflage clothing. Activists were campaigning for their right to bear arms, which is protected by the Second Amendment of the constitution.
Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA) declared a state of emergency and temporarily banned guns on capitol grounds as the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) held its annual Lobby Day demonstrations on Martin Luther King Jr Day.
The demonstrations come less than a week after the gun control measures were advanced in the state legislature, setting up for a contentious showdown between gun owners attending the rally and counter-protestors calling for common sense reforms in Virginia, known for its lax gun laws.
Donald Trump tweeted a message shortly before the rally officially began appearing to support the protestors. The president said: “The Democrat Party in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia are working hard to take away your 2nd Amendment rights”, followed by a call for people to vote Republican in the 2020 US election.
The FBI arrested multiple suspected neo-Nazis in the build-up to the event, who had reportedly discussed opening fire at the demonstrations and were anticipating a possible race war.
There were initially fears of a second Charlottesville -- when a white supremacist rally turned deadly in Virginia nearly three years ago -- but it was ultimately a peaceful, albeit tense, event.
Catch-up on events as they happened
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Chris Riotta: The VCDL and demonstrators blame Governor Ralph Northam for the heightened tensions at this year's lobby day.
"He's the one that stirred everything up with his declaration of war agaiunst gun owners," he tells The Independent. "It was going to be a thousand people, now it's 100,000 people, [because of] his attack on law abiding gun owners."
Donald Trump has posted a tweet appearing to reference the rally, claiming that Democrats are trying to "take away" American's second amendment rights:
Guns rights activists greet state lawmakers as they arrive to the Capitol grounds.
The president's latest tweet supporting a rally attended by neo-Nazis and fascist militias follows his tweet saying that "when you vote for Democrats, they will take your guns away."
Virginia's state legislature isn't doing that. There are several proposals to require background checks for people who want to buy a gun and to allow local governments to ban firearms from public buildings.
The president is looking for Republican support this fall. Also on the ballot in Virginia in November are several Republicans running against Democratic incumbent Mark Warner in the US Senate race.
There's not a large showing of counter protestors near the Capitol grounds, but several have showed up despite the tension. Gun control activist Thomas Freeman says he's here because "people are dying" and "it's time to fix that."
"Traditionally on this day a lot of folks come to lobby, including guns rights activists, but they don't feel safe. Since I look like most people here, I feel it might be easier for me to come and represent the other side ... we're not trying to say 'no guns,' we're trying to say that some gun laws might be helpful."
Credit: The Independent
After Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency to prepare for a gun rights rally attended by fascist groups, state Senator Amanda Chase has accused the governor of creating a "set up" that is potentially using "government plants" and the media to make the entire movement look like insurrection."
Ms Chase — who famously brought a gun to a state senate committee in 2019 — said "they are coming after us full speed ahead and they aren't even trying to hide it anymore." She has been speaking to people at the rally and posting her support on social media.
She was voted into office in 2015 by roughly 4,900 votes.
Chris Riotta: Guns rights activist James Manship says he's here - dressed as George Washington - to defend the "liberty to feel safe" by carrying guns. Manship says he feels safer in this crowd of gun owners than he would in "Washington DC or Baltimore."
He's holding the American flag upside down, the symbol for distress. Manship tells me that's on purpose: "The whole country is in distress, but especially the great commonwealth of Virginia, because of our 'Demoncrat' governor."
Credit: The Independent
Chris Riotta: A police source who asked not to be identified stressed that demonstrators must clear out at 1pm local time, when the Lobby Day permits expire.
"We don't know what happens after that," they added.
Chris Riotta: More than camouflage and body armour, Trump gear is the hottest commodity at the Lobby Day demonstrations - besides the guns themselves.
Vendors who asked not to be identified said the presidential merch (which goes for $10) is "selling like hot cakes."
Credit: The Independent
After posting a message promoting second amendment rights in Virginia, Donald Trump also shared a message marking Martin Luther King Jr Day. The iconic civil rights activist was shot dead on 4 April 1968.
The president followed the message marking the man who "helped shape the Civil Rights Movement", he posted another tweet simply reading: "USA! USA! USA!"
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