Camouflage uniforms and semi-automatic rifles were released Monday in Richmond, the capital of the US state of Virginia, where several thousand people demonstrated without incident for the right to possess weapons.
The rally had been placed under close surveillance for fear of violent action by far-right groups. Democratic Governor Ralph Northam has declared a state of emergency at Capitol Square, the seat of local government and the site of the protest, due to "serious and credible threats". The event was surrounded by an important security device and aerial surveillance. Weapons and dangerous objects were prohibited on the site.
"We don't want to see a drama like the one in Charlottesville," warned the governor, in reference to another city in Virginia where clashes between white supremacist and anti-fascist militants killed and injured dozens in August 2017. But Despite the large number of demonstrators who came in the early hours armed with their shoulder straps or their belts, in paramilitary clothes or dressed in hunting jackets, the rally ended at midday without any major incident. In freezing cold, the protesters quickly filled the square and the surrounding streets. In addition to the weapons or flags, they displayed orange stickers saying "Weapons save lives".
"Our constitutional right that God has given us"
"In recent decades, politicians have tried to pass laws that make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to buy firearms. We're on a bad slope. It is our constitutional right, which God has given us, to arm ourselves, ”said Brooks, 24, a resident of Richmond, an ordinarily peaceful town of 200,000, told AFP.
“It’s just about exercising my freedom. Don't be afraid (of weapons), they are just machines. Everyone in the crowd is armed and no crime has been committed, ”said Justin Dorton, 38, in a military jacket and camouflage jacket, armed with a semi-automatic rifle. A little further on, John, from Ohio, explains that he wants to “change the culture” of city-dwellers afraid of arms like the AR-15 he wears on his chest. "The more weapons we see in everyday life, the less we will be afraid of them," says the young man, who hides his face under a black scarf.
Fears of overflows
Several far-right movements and paramilitary groups had announced their participation in this "Lobbying Day" with elected officials, organized by the Virginia Defense League for Citizens (VCDL).
This league denounces what it considers attacks on the second amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees the "right of the people to own and bear arms". But this article is the subject of divergent interpretations and the Supreme Court limited this right to the domicile, leaving cities and states to regulate their transport.
Donald Trump, a great defender of the pro-arms lobby, supported the demonstrators. "The Democratic Party in Virginia is doing everything to deprive you of your rights under the second amendment. This is just the beginning. Make sure that doesn't happen, vote Republican in 2020! ", He tweeted Monday. "I will NEVER allow our big second amendment to be unprotected, not even a little!" "
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