RICHMOND, Va. _ Thousands of protesters descended on Virginia's Capitol on Monday to protest proposed changes to state gun laws, many of them heavily armed to show their support for the Second Amendment.
Gov. Ralph Northam had placed Richmond under a state of emergency, saying the annual lobby day and rally has drawn the attention of militia and out-of-state groups who have come to "intimidate" and "cause harm."
The unusually large crowds come after Democrats won majorities in the House and Senate. Gun control measures that have for years been quashed by Republicans _ implementing universal background checks, limiting sales to one handgun a month, allowing localities to ban guns in certain places and creating an extreme risk protection order _ were passed out of a packed Senate Judiciary Committee meeting last week.
Northam said intelligence officials had received "credible, serious threats" of violence comparable to those targeted towards Charlottesville, where in 2017 neo-Nazis and white supremacists clashed with counter protesters and a woman was killed.
Northam banned weapons from statehouse grounds, and anyone who wanted to be on Capitol Square had to pass through magnetometers and have their bags searched, causing lengthy lines. Many protesters wore orange stickers saying "Guns save lives."
Outside a temporary fence erected on Capitol Square, other protesters openly carried assault-style weapons on sidewalks and nearby streets that had been closed to traffic.
Karen Blackville said she drew up her will and power of attorney and left it behind for her oldest son before arriving at Monday's rally.
"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," she said.
Blackville lives in Hanover County and isn't a current gun owner but has owned guns in the past. She said she's a survivor of domestic violence and wants to protect her right to own guns in the future. She's against a proposal that would limit some indoor gun ranges, fearful that it would hinder people's ability to get training.
Protesters arrived by buses from across the state, while others came in from places like Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, New York and Connecticut.
Roberto Minuta, a 33-year-old tattoo artist from New York, chose to come into capitol grounds unarmed, saying he didn't want to "come in and look like a radical."
He's upset about the stricter gun laws his state has passed and said he doesn't want to see Virginia suffer the same fate.
"I realize that yes, I'm one person, but if everyone had that mindset, no one would be here," he said.
Danny Tumer, a 60-year-old member of the Virginia Citizens Defense League and truck driver who lives in Richmond, said he came unarmed because "I got something I want to say."
"I want to meet people face to face," he said.
He's unlikely to meet any legislators on the grounds today, as the Capitol and lawmakers' offices are inaccessible once people have passed through security.
"I think there's an assault on the Second Amendment," he said, adding he hadn't read the gun bills Democrats have proposed.
By 8:30 am, the grounds had started to fill up, with people standing on the hillside in front of the Capitol steps watching the crowds on the other side of the fence and chanting things like "Northam out" and "USA".
Tensions have been building across the state since Democrats gained a majority in the legislature and vowed to enact tighter gun control laws following the May mass shooting in Virginia Beach. As lawmakers filed bills to limit handgun purchases and require universal background checks, gun owners _ first in rural counties, then in large cities like Virginia Beach _ packed local government chambers, demanding localities not enforce any proposed legislation they considered an infringement on their Second Amendment rights.
Peter Helms, 63, of Franklin rode on a bus to Richmond on Monday morning to support the Second Amendment. With people he just met, the retired corrections guard stood outside of a fence surrounding the Capitol grounds around 9 a.m. Many armed people surrounded him.
He said he never thought he'd see a governor trying to restrict gun rights. He opposes gun-free zones.
"I feel safer with the militias than I do walking down the streets of Norfolk," he said.
Randy Kushner, 68, lives in Front Royal but stayed in his lake house outside of Richmond to get to the rally early.
When asked about the gun laws, he said, "I'm opposed to all of it because none of them makes sense."
He said he's against universal background checks.
"Gun tragedies are a small price to pay for liberty," he said, holding up a sign that says "guns are a right, not a privilege."
