Early Monday morning, demonstrators started arriving in Richmond, Virginia to peacefully protest the increasingly hostile environment the state poses for the Second Amendment rights. By mid-morning, more than 22,000 people had rallied together.
While Virginia used to be a red state that defended the Second Amendment, it has been trending increasingly blue over the past decade and a half. Now, Democratic Governor Ralph Northam and Virginia’s Democratic state legislators are working on passing a package of gun control bills that would defy both due process and constitutionality in the state.
This open season on the Second Amendment was highlighted by the protesters, as was Gov. Northam’s recent blackface scandal.
While Gov. Northam panicked at the thought of the protest, declaring a temporary state of emergency and banning weapons from the area surrounding the Virginia State Capitol, the protest was completely peaceful.
By the time crowds started to disperse, the only arrest made was of a woman who failed to remove her bandana from around her face after a police officer told her to do so throughout the morning; she was charged with a felony count of wearing a mask in public. Considering the cold morning and very questionable crime she was charged with, it can be declared that the rally was the very embodiment of a nonviolent protest, even with countless weapons present.
The crowds even tried to clean up after themselves, which is certainly something that those attending the Women’s March could learn to do.
While Gov. Northam, the media, and the left all were predicting that the rally would be violent and full of hateful, bigoted people, they couldn’t have been more wrong. This has instead provided a wonderful example of how peaceful, nonviolent protest can rally people together to work toward a common cause.
And, it demonstrated that open season on the Second Amendment by state legislatures will be tolerated no longer.