The fight to preserve gun rights in Virginia has now moved to the commonwealth’s town squares as gun owners in the Old Dominion now face localized gun control.
What was once a fight only at the statehouse level, has moved potentially to every one of Virginia’s cities, towns, and counties now that localities have been given permission to enact their own gun bans.
Yesterday, in the first event of its kind in Virginia, 300 to 400 gun rights supporters crowded into the plaza outside of Northern Virginia’s Alexandria City Municipal Center to protest a planned vote by the town council there to ban firearms in their city parks, municipal center and plazas next week.
The protest was organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights group that famously turned out more than 25,000 gun rights supporters at the Richmond statehouse last January.
Although the turnout in Alexandria today was not considered overwhelming, VCDL organizers noted they only had about 48 hours of lead time to turn out gun owners.
The Alexandria council vote for this first-in-the-state local gun ban is set for Saturday, June 20, with the Virginia Citizens Defense League now organizing the turnout for the council session—a place where armed citizens have taken seats in the past with holstered handguns, and even long guns.
Gun rights supporters acknowledge an uphill battle against the decidedly left-leaning city of Alexandria, a picturesque and historic place where one can see the skyline of Washington, DC’s monuments from the shore of the Potomac River that borders Alexandria on the east side.
VCDL President Philip Van Cleave led the call for his members to flood the politicians with emails, phone calls and letters in advance of the June 20 vote. Said Van Cleave:
“We’re hoping by showing bigger turnouts at these things it will discourage some of these localities [elsewhere in the state].”
Van Cleave noted that the historic Virginia Second Amendment sanctuary movement this past winter began with only a handful of gun rights supporters, but evolved into events where several thousand gun owners would gather at municipal centers on a single night.
That movement helped kill an “assault weapons’ ban that came up in the 2020 session.
Speaking to the Alexandria gathering, Van Cleave noted that ‘local preemption’ as it’s called, is a clever ploy by statehouse Democrats to sew confusion and mistrust by letting Virginia’s cities, towns and counties create a patchwork of gun laws that all sides know will be difficult to navigate.
Van Cleave identified it as a ‘tricks and traps’ strategy designed to suppress firearms carry by Virginians and visitors to the Old Dominion.
The power to create gun local bans was pushed by Governor Ralph Northam in the last legislative session, and was passed by the Democrat majority that has controlled Virginia politics at the state level since 2019.
With 190 cities, towns and county entities now eligible to enact their own localized gun bans for their parks, plazas and government buildings, the Democrats have made clear that their strategy is to open 190 new battle fronts against the VCDL and its tens of thousands of members.
The VCDL has responded by standing up “locality watch groups’ to keep an eye on every Virginia voting body. The plan is for these “watchers” to ring the alarm bell at the first sign that a locality is contemplating its own local gun ban strategy so the VCDL can begin to organize opposition.
Van Cleave is confident the VCDL will not be caught flat-footed as the “local preemption” fight ramps up.
“Every locality has got somebody that is looking at what’s going on in their local government to see if anything about guns is coming up, and if it is they notify me and then we will get people together, we’ll have a rally, get people emailing and calling…so we have got to have eyes and ears everywhere.”
doubt there will be much rioting there.
No burning, no looting, no one beaten or killed – no attention from powers that be. Gun grabbers can safely ignore the protesters and they will.
Honestly, I can speak on behalf of my fellow Virginians. They generally are cowardly people. There are still the 3%…. facts are public schools have made my generation weak, I am 28, I served in the Army as an 11B and unfortunately those my age with only public schooling and God knows Any Virginia university, are very weak mentally and they are all about mob socialist mentality. Sure rural VA is conservative, but those people are introverts, and they hate outsiders regardless of their political views.
Virginia is a failed state now, for over 10 years.
Virginia is also very racist, sad everything Thomas Jefferson worries about in his letters has become a reality of his party. Black faced Northam.. what a joke, to think voting will make a difference, the majority have spoken. They don’t want to accountability or self sufficiency.
They want big government and stimulus checks for nothing. And healthcare for everyone who does nothing. It’s communism and it’s working.
Look who they voted for.
It’s sad because it’s literally our citizens destroying this country!
Look on the bright side. You’re not New York. Yet, anyway.
Florida is working at being ‘NYC” South…
You wasted a lot of time, you could have simply said “they vote Democrat”. That covers it all.
@RedEagle
“… my fellow Virginians. They generally are cowardly people…”
Fuck you @RedEagle. Hard.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR NATION FOR US TO HAVE FREEDOM. VIRGINIA HAS BEEN GONE FOR A LONG TIME. NOW IT IS TEARING DOWN THE STATUES, THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR CENTURYS. THESE ARE PART OF OUR HISTORY. PELOSI , WANTS 7 MORE TO BE REMOVED, SHE IS SUCH AN EVIL PERSON.
The Citizens/Patriots of Virginia who were cheated out of their vote by Bloomberg and Soros’s millions are going to have to get their Sheriffs, all of them to convene and the Militia arrest Northam and the DC Democrats turned Virginia Legislators for “Feloniously taking of their Rights to bear arms protected by 2A under the color of Law.” The President said as much but Virginians were fearful or slow on the uptake.
it is our Republic not the Democrat Racist Communists and the Global Billionaires financing Antifa and BLM and buying the Legislatures seats and Governors and Attorney generals across the Nation. Our Founders are rolling over in their grave at the lack of commitment, the weak knees , andlacck of strong affection for our Republic, our home the only true free nation ever on earth and the last bastion of Western Christian Civilization that Northam and the other anti American Democrat Communists and George Sorso and Michael Bloomberg intend to destroy
Hope and Pray that Northam has to hide. It is our rights to bear arms. Our rights are trying to be taking away by the Democrats. Folks lets don’t let it happen. God Bless America, and Trump.
“Democrats have made clear that their strategy is to open 190 new battle fronts” Just knowing the laws of a handful of states can be burdensome, I couldn’t imagine needing to know 190 different cities.
This just shows they want the law abiding gun owners to trip up and break one of their laws, so the aforementioned lawful gun owner can easily become a prohibited person.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the cities coordinated to create conflicting laws to purposely impose legal pretzels
I visit VA from time to time, I will continue to ignore their crap, just as I did growing up 60 years ago. A really screwed up state, particularly the government.
Nice to see so many folks out their supporting our rights. I see there were lots of guns, but no violence. Go figure. Maybe it’s because guns don’t cause crime?
Know guns, know peace. No guns, no peace.
1.) Turn your hat around the right direction so you’re not proving you’re a moron.
2.) If you’re not an actual Delta vet shave off the stupid scraggle ass ZZ Top/whatever beard so you’re not proving you’re a moron.
Looking like an anti(pro)fa clown is not a positive thing.
The fuck are you talking about, Neiowa?
Why is the area covered in gay pride flags? Do they cover that same area with Christian flags in December?
At first I thought VCDL had appropriated the flag, which stuck me as an amusing tactic. You can steal symbols, maybe not a group as small as VCDL from LGBTQANYTHINGYOUCANIMAGINE but a maybe RKBA in general could. It might make POTG uneasy at first but I suspect it would make progs downright apoplectic.
That is a really good idea and I bet someone could make some $$$ by printing out a nifty pro-gun slogan on a rainbow background… kind of like the COEXIST sticker made up of firearm manufacturer logos…
Rainbow Gadsden Flag?
I own a rainbow gadsten flag T shirt.
Its real. Its been adopted by the pro-gun, pro-liberty side of the LGBT movement.
People who don’t want special consideration, but just want to be free to be with who they want to be with, in peace.
As a volunteer instructor for the Pink Pistols, I strongly support any group’s right to lawful armed self defense.
Don from CT, of course it was your org that planted the idea in my head. I was only the 95,000th person that noticed it made sense.
we’re taking back the rainbow. concensus led to letting them keep brown and pink.
Used tea.
Right out my nose.
*Iced” not used.
Well, maybe it was kinda used…
They totally do, haven’t you ever heard of the Alexandria December Christian Flag Display? Got a bee in your bonnet over nothing. Now how about churches start paying taxes?
I haven’t heard of that, and I’ve never seen any government tripping over themselves to pander to a group like they do the LGBTQ crowd. At least Christianity has played a prominent role in America since it’s founding, so that would make more sense. The extreme push for the rainbow crowd is new, and has been co-opted by corporations and politicians for the purpose of making money and gaining power. It has nothing to do with just being accepted.
Which cable channel did you learn history from, Professor?
You don’t want churches to start paying taxes. Even if you are incredibly atheist, which I’m assuming you are. Because most people are these days. Anyway, the reason is this:
Christianity is a dying religion. In a couple of decades will be largely gone from the west entirely, outside of Latin America. The only place it will survive. The thing is, atheism isn’t a long term “belief” that will last in humanity…
Think of it like a power vacuum. When one religion fades, another takes over. It’s just the way it is, and no amount of atheist handwringing will keep it in place.
Because it’s ultimately a nihilistic philosophy, wether it’s right or wrong. Now I’m not tagging on you for being one, I’m just saying this is how the world works, and this is how it is perceived.
So, when Christianity is gone, Islam, which is growing stronger by the day, WILL take its place across the west. Yes, the liberal, equality loving, social justice warriors, will submit to Islam. It will easily take Europe first, and then work it’s way into American culture.
Granted this will take along time in America. I’d say by 2030-2040 it takes Europe, then 2060-2070 its takes North America.
If you dare try to tax Islam, they will start a Jihad against you, and they will win that jihad.
The only alternative route I see is if an entirely new religion pops up, which actually isn’t too far outside the realm of possibility.
I envision a new religion that essentially worships technology, that the basis of is starting to form right now. It will grow and be prevalent about the time Islam is at its Zenith, and may be what begins to wither away at Islam’s global rule…
The new religion is already here. It’s called Leftism. You’re asked to have blind faith in anything women say, as long as they’re helping democrats. You’re asked to have unquestioning faith in science, as long as it helps to push the preferred narrative. You’re asked to believe that people are either inherently good or bad based solely on their skin color. Oh, and their “non-profit” groups don’t pay taxes either.
Agreed, leftism is like religion, but I’d argue it’s very weak one. What’s the core fear of any liberal? Being considered racist. They won’t dare challenge any Muslim in any way.
Muslims will be allowed to do what they want to women, gays, and minorities, because the left will want to submit to it out of white guilt. They’ll see conversion to Islam as a way to further pay back the world for being white and western.
I could see something like that happening. It’s the whole the enemy of my enemy is my friend thing. I just can’t pass up any opportunity to point out the hypocrisy of the Left.
And right there’s another one. They don’t like to call out the Muslim treatment of women and gays in other parts of the world, so they don’t anger the American Muslims. In the end, it’s always about power, not principles.
Hmmmm I don’t think God and Jesus would like that very much………..
Fill the council chambers with as many black gun owners as you can find. Let’s see how willing they are to vote for anti gun legislation when they are reminded that gun control is racist. 1. It’s true, 2. What a great way to show solidarity.
Use the same leftist tactics as they use on us.
Well, unless you burn something down. Loot a Target store or assassinate a cop, your message will just fall on deaf ears. Should have held a voter registration rally instead.
Don’t tell others what they should do, you step up and do it.
“—a place where armed citizens have taken seats in the past with holstered handguns, and even long guns.”
Meh, color me impressed when someone takes a seat with a holstered Paladin (M109A7). ;D
In all seriousness, good on them for the turnout, given the short notice.
You get the Gov you vote for. Thousands show up now, should have been there to vote when it really mattered. Once a great state, anymore not so much. I for one will avoid it completely.
The GOP failed to run any Reublican candidates in many VA districts!
he VCDL, formed by NRA life members that thought the NRA was not doing enough for Virginia gun owners, as the NVCDL in 1994 to go to the GA in 95 to get may issue changed to shall issue. The democrats were in charge. They were told it would not happen and they got it through. So, If you are willing to say a STATE went bad because good people did nothing, then I venture to guess you are one of the good people. If gun owners voted, in solidarity, they could rule almost ANY state.
If you give up on Virginia, you will have no place to go, because cancer spreads. Don’t drink the koolaid, but start carrying the water.
I find that people posting about “VA got the Gov’t it voted for” haven’t actually looked at any of the data from that election. More Republicans voted than Democrats in totality. The state GOP lost 17 races because the Democrat ran unopposed. Our state was hit with a last minute court ruling redrawing many districts and that was enough to turn the state. The “so sad too bad” attitude is intellectually lazy and reeks of schadenfreude.
Hey pretend yer Antifa or Black Lies Blather😏Break the “law”…most po-leece won’t or can’t enforce it!
I think this is being overlooked as well. A law is only as effective as its enforcement. I truly believe cops have better things to do. If the sanctuary city movement was any indication, they’ll put any locally enacted ordinances in their “maybe, if I have time” pile.
Yawn, and this will accomplish as much as the one in January did…nothing. Time to start ripping a page out of their book.
Not sure it did nothing. The press certainly took notice, and if they take notice, you know their mindless bots are, too. As for taking that first step? Doing so, without any assurance of back-up or follow-through, is a serious, life-changing commitment. I am interested to see how things regress over the summer…
If that is what you think you need to wake the hell up. There was a TON of really bad stuff that got killed. If it was not for the VCDL and Lobby Day you would be moving to NJ to get some of your rights back.
Hopefully some one or multiple people have filed a federal lawsuit against the state for the law delegating gun control laws to towns. That violates more than 2A.
Part of the blame goes to so called Republicans who had the majority of house, senate and POTUS for two years and didn’t pass the bill requiring all states to recognize all state CCW permits.
Everyone better turn out to vote in November or it will get a lot worse.
They can’t be filed until the law is in effect, 01 July 2020. Then the law can be challenged in court.
But it seems some of the worst leftys in the Commonwealth are going to deal with their actions, Lucas from Ptown told police not to deal with the rioters destroying a Confederate monument. She is the one that introduced the anti-militia bill, which is funny now she is perfectly fine with destruction of public property by rioters. So organized is bad, flash mob is OK to do as they please. Double standard it seems.
That’s cute
Alexandria will start to see some DC crime spillover now that they’re openly advertising their defenseless population.
Yea, tell me how that protest works out boys.
And if the cops showed up and told them to leave or be arrested, every last man would have meekly bowed his head in submission and waddled away.
Which tells me you did not show up and did not help. Either get involved or enjoy your sour grapes.
Perhaps, just a stupid question, but…What if Virginia’s Gun Owners just partitioned off six or eight square blocks and declared it a different county? It worked for liberals in Seattle, why not conservatives in Virginia?
Takes all the fun out of it when you’re law-abiding. You have a rally and you clean up behind yourself, the politicians grumble about your every move. The leftist deface and destroy property, leave rubbish and burnt stuff in the streets, take what they want from stores and the Mayor and Governor out west brags about what good people they are.
Make me sick.
The gun owning public doesn’t have the spine. End of the day many are not just satisfied with their government but slobbering RNC groupies. You can’t have it both ways, either you’re outraged or you’re being adequately represented, and flying rhetoric notwithstanding it’s pretty obvious which one Trumpkins are. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you’re content! Lol. Poor privileged righties.
The gun owners who are really disenfranchised, they’re not going to play activist with disgusting Fudds just to be a tool of the RNC.
the idiot trolls are really out this evening. Darth Soros dump a new pot of $?
Whizzing in trumpkins’ cheerios is a philanthropic effort, on my behalf. I’m trying to use this national embarrassment to teach you all some character, where your parents and society for the last 60 or so years have failed.
Won’t work when the people you need have real jobs as productive members of society. The Seattle maggots don’t have such restrictions on their time. Just like clubbing – stay out into the stupid hours drunk and sleep until 2pm. While collection Pelosi’s $600/wk living/not working check.
Doesn’t matter how many people show up in a rally. It’s the voting. VA has imported lots of voters and given criminals back voting rights. Just like California they are displacing their opposition. Find a way to outnumber them, they found a way to outnumber you.
There are a few things that save them from the felon welfare vote:
Felons are generally none too bright and not generally motivated to show up to the polls. Welfare queens are more interested in looking at Facebook and Twitter, the true opiate of the (stupid) people. Both groups stay up late and get up even later and seldom stir themselves for anything more than a late night riot or other chance to acquire “free stuff.”
The illegals would show up to vote and the Democrats are trying to get them the vote for that reason.
HUGE increase in population during the Kinton, Bush, Obumer admin as the fedgov packed on hordes of overpaid useless drones.
“The median household income in Alexandria, VA in 2017 was $100,530, which was 28.8% greater than the median annual income of $71,535 across the entire state of Virginia. Compared to the median income of $56,054 in 2000 this represents an increase of 44.2%”
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/income/income-Alexandria-Virginia.html
And why not as the city of Alexandria is planing on infringement of their natural/civil rights.
They’re one ANTIFA riot away from seeing this nonsense end.
K. Now don’t leave until the messages clear.
Better start putting up some barriers around the city like they did in “Chaz”.
Back when there was that big gun owner rally in Virginia the news media went out of their way to highlight all the horrible, violent, uncivilized, conservatives who would be attending. That and all the violence that was supposed to happen. Now thousands of BLM/antifa members show up and litter, loot, burn, throw bricks, threaten, take over property, and otherwise act like animals. The media repeat over and over that these current protests are peaceful except for just a few bad actors and legitamize all of this foolishness. Funny how that works.
NOT funny. Ducked up is what it is. Really wish there was an effective way to to put these median a$$holes in their place.ike a dumpster
Media
I would assume if it passes, a lawsuit will overturn its Lack of Constitutionality. Not that it’s quick nor painstaking.
This is why it is so very important to keep Trump in office…judges.
So ironic. Years ago, for me at least, Alexandria was Gun Heaven. I was stationed at Ft. Belvoir, and on weekends I used to commute into Alex on my NSU/Lambretta to moonlight at Hunters Arms, which was Interarmco’s retail outlet. My job was assembling handguns that had been imported in parts (parts were charged less duty than whole guns). I was paid in guns. Best job I ever had!
Jeez, where were jobs like that when I was a kid?
If they didn’t listen to 20,000+, why would they listen to 400?
The only place those numbers mean anything is in the voting booth.
Yawn. The cause is screwed and the VCDL love it because at heart they’re just slacktivists. Now they can have pointless little get togethers and act relevant in every little town in VA. Nobody in these protests is ever going to not vote R every chance they get, so it’s totally safe for everyone to ignore them.
This stuff is what makes it so important that if a gun owner actually means to own a gun that they understand that the democrat left is not their friend.
Sounds like a real mess!…..which is why other states have sought to avoid it….
Except Republiscums have also screwed gun owners in some states, such as Florida following the shooting at Parkland, in Broward Cty.
That’s 4D chess though, when Repubs do it. You can tell it’s 4D chess because I personally am anti-abortion and imprinted on the RNC brand, so I’d vote R no matter what and want you to as well. That makes sense because I’m a boomer and the world revolves around me.
If you don’t like the governor and the new legislation, you can leave Virginia. Go live with your cousins at the trailer park in Tennessee or South Carolina, we don’t need you in this state. Elections have consequences, get used to it, Trumpet is only a few months away from an epic humiliation.
I was looking forward to his tantrum when he loses, I mean he fired off a C&D letter over an unfavorable poll, it should be glorious when he has something real to cry about.
However, judging by the West Point speech, I suspect his health is deteriorating. He might know he’s not up to another 4 years. He’s lazy and hates being embarrassed, so if the job is no longer fun and safe he might want to effectively quit.
Hey Soros butt boys – I don’t think if counts, for pay, when you troll each other.
It’s almost as if the facts don’t fit your conspiracy theory. Hmmm….
Dictators and wannabes only understand one thing, the force of arms. That’s why the first thing they do is disarm and/or restrict the carrying or owning of firearms. The City Council will pass the ban. The only recourse is to sue or get rid of the Council. Of course the Leftist Courts in the District will uphold any ban and as you may have noticed, the SCOTUS 86’d all anti-gun cases before it today, leaving the States free to infringe any way they can.
The only people who support gun control are murderers, rapists, thieves, pedophiles, kidnappers, tyrants, perverts and anti gun zealots…What Filth.
How’s this for a possibly outlandish idea? People really need to pay attention to the positions, to the public statements, to the associations of elected officials, people seeking public office, aka people in law making positions. Might it be that that the people to often fail to do so, such failings perhaps being the source of “problems”?
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