RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – A judge has upheld Governor Northam’s ban on all types of weapons at a pro-gun rally planned for next week.

Gov. Ralph Northam had announced the ban on Wednesday as he declared a state of emergency over threats of “armed militia groups storming our Capitol.” The judge’s order Thursday came hours after the FBI announced the arrest of three alleged white supremacists in Maryland.

David Browne, an attorney for the gun-rights groups, argued that prohibiting rallygoers from carrying guns would violate their Second Amendment right to bear arms and their First Amendment right to free speech. Browne said carrying guns is a form of symbolic speech.

Virginia’s solicitor general, Toby Heytens argued that the governor was well within his authority to declare the state of emergency and ban weapons after law enforcement identified “credible evidence” that armed out-of-state groups planned to come to Virginia with the possible intention of participating in a “violent insurrection.”

Heytens said the alleged white supremacists arrested Thursday had discussed traveling to Richmond “to engage in a race war.”

 

Loading...