Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 21 January 2020
Pro-gun rally by thousands in Virginia ends peacefully

By ALAN SUDERMAN and said. "We just feel like we
SARAH RANKIN need to push government
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — back into their rightful spot."
Tens of thousands of gun- Monday's rally was or-
rights activists from around ganized by an influential
the country rallied peace- grassroots gun-rights group,
fully at the Virginia Capi- the Virginia Citizens De-
tol on Monday to protest fense League. The group
plans by the state's Demo- holds a yearly rally at the
cratic leadership to pass Capitol, typically a low-key
gun-control legislation — a event with a few hundred
move that has become a gun enthusiasts listening to
key flash point in the na- speeches from a handful
tional debate over gun vio- of Republican lawmakers.
lence But this year's event was
The size of the crowd and unprecedented. Second
the expected participation Amendment groups have
of white supremacists and identified the state as a
fringe militia groups raised rallying point for the fight
fears that the state could against what they see as
see a repeat of the vio- a national erosion of gun
lence that exploded in 2017 rights.
in Charlottesville. But the The pushback against pro-
rally concluded unevent- posed new gun restrictions
fully around noon, and the Demonstrators stand outside a security zone before a pro gun rally, Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in began immediately after
mood was largely festive, Richmond, Va. Democrats won majorities
with rally-goers chanting Associated Press in both the state Senate
"USA!" and waving signs and House of Delegates
denouncing Democratic ia who brought a white flag TV journalist girlfriend was erty Law Center staff mem- in November, with much
Gov. Ralph Northam. with a picture of a rifle cap- killed in an on-air shooting bers attended the rally of the opposition focused
Many protesters chose not tioned, "Come and take it." in 2015. and identified members on a proposed assault
to enter the designated Northam was a particu- Some of the protesters of extremist militia groups, weapons ban. More than
rally zone, where Northam lar focus of the protesters' waved flags with messag- including the Oath Keep- 100 localities have since
had imposed a tempo- wrath. One poster showed es of support for President ers and Three Percenters, passed measures declar-
rary weapons ban, and his face superimposed on Donald Trump. Trump, in as well as the League of ing support for the Second
instead packed surround- Adolf Hitler's body. turn, tweeted support for the South, according to Amendment.
ing streets, many dressed in The governor said in a state- their goals. outreach director Lecia Erich Pratt, senior vice presi-
tactical gear and camou- ment he was "thankful" the "The Democrat Party in the Brooks. The League of the dent of Gun Owners of
flage and carrying military- day passed peacefully and Great Commonwealth of South, which the center America, said voters need
style rifles as they cheered that "he will continue to lis- Virginia are working hard designates a hate group, to replace the Democrats
on the speakers. ten to the voices" of Virgin- to take away your 2nd advocates for Southern se- in control of the govern-
"I love this. This is like the ians while doing everything Amendment rights," he cession. ment in Virginia.
Super Bowl for the Second in his power "to keep our tweeted. "This is just the be- In contrast to Charlottes- "We need to throw the bums
Amendment right here," commonwealth safe." ginning. Don't let it happen, ville, there was little sign out. We need to clean
said P.J. Hudson, a truck "The issues before us evoke VOTE REPUBLICAN in 2020! of counterprotesters chal- house in the next election,"
driver from Richmond who strong emotions, and The Virginia State Police, lenging the gun-rights ac- he told the crowd.
carried an AR-15 rifle just progress is often difficult," the Virginia Capitol Police tivists. House Republican Leader
outside Capitol Square. Northam said. and the Richmond Police Police limited access to Todd Gilbert compliment-
He was one of the few Af- Democratic lawmakers had a heavy presence, Capitol Square to only one ed the behavior of the rally-
rican American rally-goers said the rally wouldn't im- with officers deploying on entrance, and a long line goers and said Democrats
in a crowd that was over- pact their plans to pass rooftops, patrolling in cars formed to get into the rally should take a lesson from
whelmingly white and gun-control measures, in- and on bicycles. zone. them.
male, and was frequently cluding universal back- Authorities were looking to Gun-rights advocates "The law-abiding gun own-
stopped and asked to ground checks and a avoid a repeat of the vio- also filled the hallways of ers in attendance today
pose for pictures wear- one-handgun-purchase-a- lence that erupted in Char- the building that houses are the ones who would
ing his "Black Guns Matter" month limit. Democrats say lottesville during one of the lawmakers' offices. One bear the brunt of their
sweatshirt. tightening Virginia's gun largest gatherings of white couple, Jared and Marie anti-gun proposals, which
An estimated 22,000 peo- laws will make communi- supremacists and other far- March, traveled from Floyd would have little to no im-
ple attended, according ties safer and help prevent right groups in a decade. County, over three hours pact on crime or criminals,"
to authorities, who said one mass shootings like the one Attendees brawled with west of Richmond, to meet he said in a statement.
woman was arrested on last year in Virginia Beach, counterprotesters, and an with lawmakers. The rally coincided with
felony charge of wearing a where a dozen people avowed white supremacist "Guns are a way of life the Martin Luther King Jr.
mask in public. were killed in a municipal drove his car into a crowd, where we live," said Ma- holiday, which is typically
The protesters came out building. killing a woman and injur- rie March, who was con- a chance for everyday citi-
despite the frigid tempera- "I was prepared to see a ing dozens more. Law en- cerned about a proposed zens to use a day off work to
ture to send a message to whole lot more people forcement officials faced red-flag law she said would lobby their legislators. How-
legislators, they said. show up than actually did scathing criticism for what allow citizens to be stripped ever, the threat of violence
"The government doesn't and I think it's an indication both the white suprema- of their guns due to "subjec- largely kept other groups
run us, we run the govern- that a lot of this rhetoric is cist groups and anti-racism tive criteria." A proposal to away from the Capitol, in-
ment," said Kem Regik, a bluster, quite frankly," said protesters said was a pas- establish universal back- cluding gun control groups
20-year-old private security Del. Chris Hurst, a gun- sive response. ground checks amounted that hold an annual vigil for
officer from northern Virgin- control advocate whose On Monday, Southern Pov- to "more Big Brother," she victims of gun violence.q