By Cate Hill

On Monday, January 20, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, around 22,000 protesters gathered at the Virginia State Capitol and in the surrounding streets to oppose the restriction of guns. Nearly 6,000 of those protesters gathered, unarmed, inside the Capitol Square grounds, while thousands of others continued the march from the outside, many carrying weapons. The protest was part of “Lobby Day,” the day that state legislatures usually open up their offices for people to lobby for or against certain causes or legislation. Virginia’s Lobby Day has traditionally fallen on MLK Day, since it is a day off for most people. 

Recent restrictions on gun purchases and possession, such as new laws put into place in California, have concerned pro-gun supporters. These developments, and Virginia state Democratic lawmakers’ new proposals on gun control, gave protesters a reason to gather and announce their opposition. In addition to the Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, being a Democrat, the Democratic Party has control in the Virginia State legislature for the first time since 1995, and this has worried some protesters that gun control laws may become more restrictive in the near future.

One new gun control proposal works to implement mandatory background checks during the transfer or private sale of any firearms. Another bill encourages limiting citizens to one gun purchase per month, or once every 30-day period. The third proposed law gives local government authorities permission to ban possession of firearms during events held in public locations. 

Arriving early in the morning, protesters came in groups to support their rights, and some even carried semi-automatic rifles. Others came with signs and sported stickers with the phrase “Guns Save Lives” as a means of displaying their disapproval. There was concern that the event could lead to violence,  like the 2017 rally in Charlottesville, where one protester was killed and many were injured, but it was instead a peaceful protest that led to only one arrest. In preparation for the protest, Governor Northam declared a state of emergency, which included a ban on firearms and other weapons on Capitol grounds.  

A heavy police presence at the event acted as both a security checkpoint before entering the rally, as well as a peace-keeping force to prevent any violence. The only arrest from the protest was that of 21-year-old Mikaela K. Beschler, who, after being asked to remove her bandana, was charged with a felony for covering her face at this public event. That charge was eventually dropped.

Several days before the protest, authorities took extra precautions when hearing that white supremacist groups may be attending the march. Staying proactive, the FBI took several alleged members of the white supremacist group called “The Base” under arrest in Delaware and Maryland three days before the march, and the three men were charged with immigration-related charges and firearms charges. The men were believed to be in possession of machine guns and ammunition with the possible intent to commit a felony. 

The protest was supported by President Donald Trump. USA Today reported that Trump tweeted, prior to the march, “Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia.” 

The Second Amendment to the Constitution states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Demonstrators at the rally gathered to protest recent regulations being put into place that they believe contradict their Second Amendment right to bear arms. In addition to American flags, protesters held Trump flags and signs that supported Trump and his views, as well as their own beliefs on the matter. According to Scott Calvert and Jon Kamp in The Wall Street Journal, some banners and posters carried by protesters at the rally read, “We Will Not Comply” and “come and take it,” alongside images of firearms. 

According to Giffords Law Center’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard, currently gun laws in Virginia are “weak” in comparison to other states, such as California and Connecticut, and valued at a “D.” While recent shootings and gun violence across the nation have stoked fear among U.S. citizens, gun-rights supporters at the march opposed further restriction of guns in Virginia. 

As quoted on USA Today, demonstrator Matthew French, 40, “called the rally a success and said he hoped the large, peaceful crowd would help sway legislators.” On the other hand, 58-year-old Connie Stanley says “where she lives, it could take police too long to respond if she calls 911,” believing that the new gun restriction proposals are both adequate and necessary.