New York state feels like occupied territory if you support gun rights, a pro-gun activist said during the Second Amendment rally in Richmond, Virginia, on Monday.
“In New York state, there’s tons of people that are against the 2nd Amendment. It’s a big problem we have,” the rally participant from Albany, New York, told Breitbart News’s Matt Perdie while holding a sign that read, “New York Stands with Virginia.”
“We have about nine million people in New York City that are against it, so its a frustrating trend for people up in upstate New York who are actually fighting for Second Amendment rights.”
When Perdie asked him if there was any pushback from those he knew personally, the man said, “Yes, absolutely.”
He continued:
I happen to have a pretty good crew of people around me that know me and love me and understand the gravity of the struggle that we’re in. But I live in a very hostile state, and so there are many, many, many, people who disagree with me. It almost feels like I’m in occupied territory; it’s that bad in New York state.
Despite their disagreement, the attendee said he traveled to Virginia to participate in the event because he felt “very strongly that the Constitution of the United States is under assault.”
He stated:
If we were talking about freedom of the press being restricted, I’d be down here. We’re talking about guns, and it’s very important to join the fight. Rights are being restricted legislatively as we speak — were done, are being done. And it’s important to stand with the people of Virginia to defend that.
Wednesday, Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam declared a “state of emergency” and placed a temporary ban on exercising Second Amendment rights while on the state’s Capitol grounds, Breitbart News reported.
However, Monday’s demonstration was “overwhelmingly peaceful,” the activist noted, adding, “It’s completely safe. There’s been no white supremacists as was reported that would show up here; no racial strife has been seen by me here.”
In a tweet on Sunday, NBC News reporter Ben Collins described the event as a “white nationalist rally,” according to Breitbart News.
The tweet read:
Reporters covering tomorrow’s white nationalist rally in Virginia, I’m absolutely begging you: Verify information before you send it out tomorrow, even if it’s a very sensational rumor you heard from a cop. Don’t become a hero in neo-Nazi propaganda circles with made-up stuff.
However, once the post gained significant attention, he deleted it.
Monday, the pro-gun activist warned that if the Second Amendment was under threat, all rights were in danger.
“It’s the enforcement arm of everything that we have, and if Virginia goes in a way that is not conducive to that, then the blueprint will be brought to other states. That’s not a good trend for America.”
When asked if he had a message for Gov. Northam, he said, “Listen to your people. Look out your window. The people are in the streets, the people are here to exercise their rights.”
“The people will remember this in the next election cycle. And pay attention. Pay attention, Gov. Northam.”
He then urged Americans to join the fight to defend their rights.
“It’s time to get involved. The time is now, and you shouldn’t be home. You should be here with us. And most importantly when its time to vote, you should vote in the voting booth making your voice be heard,” he concluded.
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