Armed Citizens Rally, Protest Gov. Grisham’s Carry Ban in Albuquerque

Armed citizens rallied in Albuquerque’s Old Town Sunday, protesting New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s (D) ban on carrying handguns in the city.

Breitbart News reported that Grisham announced the ban on Friday, September 8, 2023, and it took effect that same day. The ban prohibits the open or concealed carry of handguns in Albuquerque and other New Mexico cities.

The prohibition also applies to licensed concealed carry permit holders.

KRQE noted that more than 100 people rallied in protest against the ban on Sunday, meeting in Old Town with “firearms on full display.”

Grisham’s order has been met with criticism from Democrats as well as Republicans.

Gun control activist David Hogg slammed the ban. Breitbart News noted Hogg used a post on X to say, “I support gun safety but there is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.”

And Sam Bregman, the Grisham-appointed District Attorney over Albuquerque, made clear he will not enforce the ban.

The Associated Press pointed out Bregman spoke against the ban on Saturday, saying, ‘“As an officer of the court, I cannot and will not enforce something that is clearly unconstitutional.’”

He added, ‘”This office will continue to focus on criminals of any age that use guns in the commission of a crime.'”

The AP also observed that Albuquerque police chief Harold Medina responded to the governor’s order by making clear he will not enforce it.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010, a speaker at the 2023 Western Conservative Summit, and he holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.