On January 20, Martin Luther King Jr. day, thousands of gun activists flooded the streets of the Virginia capitol grounds in Richmond. People were protesting against the new laws that Virginia is establishing for gun regulations. Virginia Governor, Ralph Northam, ordered a state of emergency before the rally started on January 15 as a security precaution.
The fear of the rally turning violent was because of threats from “The Base”, a neo-Nazi organization. Three men from The Base were accused of discussing violent threats on the media.
“...Brian Lemley Jr., William Garfield Bilbrough IV and Canadian national Patrik Jordan Mathews — were arrested on federal firearms charges in the days before the rally”(CBS News 1).
Before entering the capitol grounds, everyone had to go through a thorough security check. There were only two arrests made, both nonviolent. The rally against the Red Flag Law was a huge turnout, “about 22,000 people attended the rally, according to the Virginia Division of Capitol Police” (CNN 1). The large turnout was a shock to the state of Virginia. It showed that a large amount of people can disagree and do so peacefully.
Two days after the rally, on Jan. 22, Virginia Senate passed the Red Flag Law. This law allows authorities to take away firearms from people who pose a threat to themselves or others. Over 17 states have passed this legislation. The New York Times claims, “Before the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., only five states had such laws”(The New York Times 1).
The request for authorities to take away weapons must be made by a family member and be deemed by a judge.
With the constan
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