Thousands of Pro-Gun Advocates Rally in Virginia
By Scott Calvert
WSJ.com
Gun-rights advocates
flocked Monday to a rally organized by the Virginia
Citizens Defense League, held outside the Virginia
state Capitol in Richmond, Va.
Photo:
Katie Orlinsky for The Wall Street Journal
Thousands of pro-gun demonstrators gathered peacefully around the state Capitol to protest proposed firearm restrictions, with officials relieved that the event failed to attract extremist groups or inspire violence.
Attendees held American flags and banners that read “Come and Take It” alongside images of firearms. Some chanted into bullhorns, “We will not comply” and “U.S.A.” Others wore stickers that said “Guns save lives.”
Authorities estimated about 22,000 people showed up Monday, about 6,000 of whom passed through airport-style security screening for an hour-long rally in a fenced-off area in front of the Capitol. The other 16,000 people, some with military-style rifles, stood outside the area on city streets where guns were allowed.
There were security fears leading up to the event, including what Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam said were credible threats of potential violence from out-of-state militia and hate groups. Federal authorities last week arrested three suspected members of a white-supremacist group who had discussed opening fire at the rally, law-enforcement officials said.
“It was a perfect day. Not only the weather was perfect, there was no violence. I didn’t expect any from our side, but we didn’t know about all these groups that said they were going to piggyback onto our rally,” said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, which organized the event.
“We are all thankful that today passed without incident,” Mr. Northam said, in a statement.
Uniformed police in fluorescent vests formed a line in front of the Capitol, and other police were positioned on the building’s roof.
The rally was held on Lobby Day, an annual event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day when residents and groups press state legislators on a variety of issues. The sea of people, including many from out of state, came in response to state Democrats’ plans to pass a slate of gun-control bills.
“I’m here to stand with the people of Virginia to defend the Second Amendment,” said David Treibs, a 55-year-old from Texas, who had an AR-style pistol slung over his shoulder. He planned to stay outside the restricted area.
“I like the turnout,” he said. “The intent is to change the mind of the governor and those folks. I’m afraid it’s not going to work, but it’s certainly what we’re hoping for.”
Some travelers said they wanted to stop the kind of proposals in Virginia—such as a red-flag law meant to disarm people who are deemed dangerous—from spreading to other states. Red-flag laws became common after the early 2018 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla.
“We know if one state goes down, it’s going to be a lot easier for other states to go down,” said Alley Waterbury, a Republican candidate for Congress in Minnesota who attended.
Virginia Democrats, who won control of both legislative chambers in November’s election, vowed to press on to pass gun-control bills. “Virginians spoke very clearly on Election Day. They demanded action,” said Jake Rubenstein, spokesman for Democratic House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn. “We will fulfill their mandate and pass common-sense gun violence prevention.”
Mr. Northam imposed a ban on weapons in Capitol Square when he declared a state of emergency Wednesday, citing law-enforcement concerns about weaponized drones and armed militias storming the statehouse. Legal challenges from rally organizers failed to stop the temporary ban. A state legislative committee earlier banned firearms inside any building on Capitol Square and any building where lawmakers or their staff have offices.
State and local police agencies worked together to tighten security ahead of the rally. Officials sought to avoid a repeat of the violence and chaos at a 2017 white-nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. A woman was killed when an avowed neo-Nazi drove into a crowd of counterprotesters. The driver is serving a life sentence in prison.
A local branch of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence canceled its own protest planned for Monday in Capitol Square due to fears of violence. “Common sense gun laws don’t impede anyone’s constitutional rights. They save lives.” said Robyn Sordelett, a gun owner who volunteers with the Virginia chapter of the gun-control advocacy group Moms Demand Action.
A handful of counter protesters walked through the crowd Monday, carrying banners and chanting against white supremacy and calling for the ouster of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. They briefly drew shouts from some attendees, and police quickly got between the two sides without incident.
On Twitter early Monday, Mr. Trump claimed Virginia Democrats were “working hard to take away your 2nd Amendment rights” and urged people to vote Republican in 2020.
Democrats have said they would pass only gun laws that have passed constitutional muster before. The gun-control push was sparked in part by a mass-shooting last May in Virginia Beach, and new gun restrictions became a virtual certainty after Democrats won control of the legislature.
Paul Gerdes, a 56-year-old college philosophy teacher from Williamsburg, Va., also hoped a strong showing would cause lawmakers to rethink their gun-law plans. He said he wasn’t worried about violence or security.
“Armed people everywhere, I feel perfectly safe,” he said, referring to the crowd of demonstrators.
Write to Scott
Calvert at
scott.calvert@wsj.com and Jon Kamp
at
jon.kamp@wsj.com