2020 VCDL Lobby Day
 Lobbyists at VCDL's 2020 Lobby Day in Richmond, Virginia | |
| Date | January 20, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Location | Virginia State Capitol, Richmond, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°32′24″N 77°25′57″W / 37.539918°N 77.432436°W |
| Organized by | Virginia Citizens Defense League |
The Lobby Day 2020 was a peaceful[1][2][3] gun rights rally that took place on January 20, 2020 at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia. The rally was an extension of the Second Amendment sanctuary movement and was organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League. Fears of violence by Neo-Nazis prompted the governor of Virginia to declare a state of emergency ahead of the event.
Background
Virginia's Lobby Day is an annual event, held each year on MLK day and created by the Virginia Citizens Defense League. The annual rally started about 17 years ago. [4] The 2020 rally received international attention and a greater turnout than previous years because a Democratic majority in both the Virginia House of Delegates and state Senate was elected in 2019, alongside incumbent Democratic governor Ralph Northam, along with fears of the passage of pending, stringent gun control legislation.[4][5] President Donald Trump also acknowledged the event,[6] and stated that the United States Constitution was "under very serious attack" in the state of Virginia.[7]
State of emergency
Governor Ralph Northam received advance warning that "out-of-state militia groups and hate groups" were planning to come to the event to "intimidate and to cause harm" to the demonstrators,[8] which led him to declare a state of emergency ahead of the event.[9]
Three members of the Neo-Nazi group The Base—of which were hostile to the beliefs of the protesters—were arrested by the FBI days before the event.[10] According to FBI documents, the three members were discussing "the planning of violence at a specific event in Virginia, scheduled for January 20, 2020."[11]
Demonstration
A reported 22,000 people demonstrated, less than half of the number of attendees predicted by the rally's organizers.[12] Speakers at the event included Republican State Senator Amanda Chase, Republican Delegate Nick Freitas, and Republican Delegate John McGuire.[13] The event concluded peacefully.[14][15][16]
A 21-year-old woman from Richmond was arrested for wearing a bandanna across her face; she was released on her own recognizance.[17][18] Thosecharges were reportedly dropped at a later date.
References
- ^ Photos From the Pro-gun Rally in Virginia, "Thousands of gun-rights activists took part in a peaceful rally on Lobby Day....."
- ^ Thousands of armed U.S. gun rights activists join peaceful Virginia rally
- ^ Pro-gun rally by thousands in Virginia ends peacefully
- ^ a b Chappell, Bill (20 January 2020). "Richmond Gun Rally: Thousands Of Gun Owners Converge On Virginia Capitol On MLK Day". National Public Radio. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Richmond braces for giant gun rights rally on Monday". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- ^ Trump tweets in support of pro-gun activists ahead of Virginia rally
- ^ Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Ahead of tinder box Virginia gun rally, Trump says Constitution under attack". News.trust.org. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ 4:02 PM ET (2020-01-15). "Virginia Governor Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Gun Rights Rally". Npr.org. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Declaration Of A State Of Emergency Due To Potential Civil Unrest At The Virginia State Capitol" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- ^ "Virginia Capital on Edge as F.B.I. Arrests Suspected Neo-Nazis Before Gun Rally". New York Times. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. BRIAN MARK LEMLEY, JR, page 20
- ^ Epps, Garrett. "Guns Are No Mere Symbol." The Atlantic. 21 January 2020. 21 January 2020.
- ^ "Virginia Citizens Defense League". 21 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "Virginia pro-gun rally: Despite anger, threats of insurrection, massive rally is carried out peacefully outside state Capitol". Washington Post. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Virginia Gun Rally Live Updates: 22,000 Protesters Oppose New Laws". New York Times. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "At tense Virginia rally, demonstrators reject extremists, defend law-abiding gun owners". NBC News. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Woman arrested for allegedly wearing mask at pro-gun rally in Richmond", WAVY 10, 20 Jan 2020.
- ^ "Thousands of gun-rights activists converge in Virginia's capital to protest proposed gun laws". CBS News. Jan 20, 2020.