Hundreds of people have already lined up – including some with their guns – for a pro 2nd amendment rally in Richmond, Virginia, slated for Monday morning that has raised tensions in the town and is stoking fears of violence amid a growing nationwide debate over the right to bear arms.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the rally in Richmond which began as an act of retaliation for recent law changes in the state which will tighten gun laws.
In the last week, six people with alleged links to neo-Nazi, white supremacist groups have been arrested in connection with it and the FBI is fervently sniffing out any threats of violence.
There are fears it could descend into a violent event like the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville which claimed the life of a counter-protester.
Demonstrators hold hands as they stand outside the rally proudly wearing their rifles, helmets and bullet proof vests
Armed gun rights advocates line up outside Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia, on Monday ahead of a rally organized by The Virginia Citizens Defense League. Tens of thousands are expected to attend the event and it is stoking fears of violence
There is an enormous police presence at the rally and all event attendees are being screened before they can enter the site – they will not be allowed to take their weapons into the protest area but many brought theirs and held them proudly as they stood on the outskirts of it
A gun rights activist proudly totes a Barrett M82 military rifle which is routinely used to shoot down planes in the armed forces
A police officer searches a man before allowing him to enter the protest site on Monday morning. The frigid temperatures plunged to 25F
Members of an armed militia group stand outside the protest site next to Richmond police officers and Virginia State Police officer
A protester with an M82 rifle stands in front of an enormous flag which reads ‘Come and Take It’ – a taunt to Democrats seeking to impose tighter gun laws in the state
Many of the gun rights activists toted their rifles on their shoulders and some wore bullet proof vests to the event
A protester carrying a sign which reads ‘No Gun Grab! Grab her by the p***y. Trump 2020’ and wearing a ‘Guns Save Lives’ sticker. The quote is a reference to the infamous remark Trump made in 2005 during an interview which resurfaced ahead of the 2016 election
Another man being screened before entering Capitol Square. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency ahead of the event
A protester wearing a badge reading ‘Guns Save Lives’ recites the pledge of allegiance on Monday along with hundreds of others as they arrive ahead of the Richmond rally
Both pro gun activists and anti-fascist demonstrators are expected to attend Monday’s event which will officially kick off at 11.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has declared a state of emergency and has banned weapons in the capitol but many brought theirs anyway. They will have to lose them before being screened at the actual protest site.
A long list of weapons has been banned but pocket knives are allowed inside so long as they measure less than three inches.
Snaking lines had already formed at the capitol by sunrise but the scene remains peaceful. Frigid temperatures of 25F may also reduce the crowd size.
Some of the protesters have traveled from out of state to attend the event, whereas others – such as the Virginia Citizens Defense League – are passionately local.
Philip Van Cleave, leader of the league, said: ‘People are looking at this and saying, “This is a canary in the coal mine.
‘If they’re coming after rights in Virginia, then they’ll be coming for ours as well.” They don’t want us to fail in stopping this. We’ve gotten huge donations from other states.’
A protester in camouflage wearing a rifle and a ‘Guns Saves Lives’ badge at Monday’s rally
A protester with a GoPro on his head totes a rifle and a badge saying ‘Tread on Them’
Protesters carried flags and signs which threatened they would not comply with gun reform posed by Democrat lawmakers
Protesters who got inside the site did not have guns but they proudly held up flags and signs. One held up a photograph of a KKK member which read ‘the man behind the sheet wants your guns’ – a reference to the Klan’s origins as a military fraction of the Democratic party
A protester with a rifle slung on his shoulder mingles with others who had also brought their weapons before the rally
Some stood on the sidelines of the event. Militia groups have been in contact with the police department to promise to work together to make sure the event remains peaceful
Van Cleave has rejected calls for violence, but he has urged tens of thousands of armed militia leaders from across the United States to be in Richmond’s streets to provide security for his group.
A spokesman for the Capitol police said Van Cleave had worked closely with law enforcement officers on rally plans.
Trump appeared to egg on protesters ahead of the event with this tweet on Friday
High-profile national militia figures gathered for a meeting on Sunday near Richmond said they wanted Monday’s event to be peaceful, but feared the worst, with most saying any ‘lone wolf’ could unleash bitter fighting with a single shot.
‘The buildup is probably one of the most intense I’ve seen,’ said Tammy Lee, a right-wing Internet personality from Oklahoma, who was a figurehead in Charlottesville.
Christian Yingling, head of the Pennsylvania Light Foot Militia and a leader at the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, said none of his men would carry long guns and they wanted to avoid skirmishes, but forecast they would come.
‘With somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 people possibly coming out, this thing has enormous potential to go bad,’ he said.
Northam, a Democrat, has vowed to push through new gun control laws. He is backing a package of eight bills, including universal background checks, a ‘red flag’ law, a ban on assault rifles and a limit of one handgun-a-month purchase.
The state’s gun owners responded with a movement to create ‘sanctuary cities’ for gun rights, with local government bodies passing declarations not to enforce new gun laws.
Since the November election, nearly all of Virginia’s 95 counties have some form of ‘sanctuary’, a term first used by localities opposed to harsh treatment of illegal immigrants.
A protester carrying an anti-Democrat sign holds it up to be read at the rally in Richmond, Virginia
Protesters outside the Capitol building. It was fenced off over the weekend in anticipation of Monday’s crowds
The idea has quickly spread across the United States, with over 200 local governments in 16 states passing such measures.
Despite the pushback, proponents of stronger gun laws say they are clearly winning the argument with the public, based on who got voted into office, and blame the tension on gun supporters.
‘We’re in this situation because the gun lobby has been pushing their message that we’re going to take all guns away – they’ve been fanning this fire for years,’ said Michelle Sandler, a Virginia state leader for Moms Demand Action, the grassroots arm of Everytown for Gun Safety.
It is not Northam’s first bid to tighten state gun laws. He called a special legislative session last summer after the massacre of 12 people in Virginia Beach, but the Republicans who then controlled it refused to vote on his proposals
As preparations for the event got underway, President Trump tweeted to admonish Democrats for their proposed gun reform on Virginians.
‘Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia. That’s what happens when you vote for Democrats, they will take your guns away.
‘Republicans will win Virginia in 2020. Thank you Dems!’