The presence of thousands of armed citizens outside the elegant state capitol building was meant as a warning: Democrats, not just in Virginia but nationwide, should back off attempts to pass sweeping gun control laws.
Early in the morning, two men pushed through the packed crowd in bright red T-shirts that read “Make Politicians Afraid Again”, with the image of a military-style rifle underneath.
Conservative pundits were touting the non-violent gathering as evidence that law-abiding gun owners are not a threat to the public despite high numbers of daily shooting deaths.
Shannon Watts, the founder of gun control group Moms Demand Action, condemned the rally.
“Armed insurrectionists who threaten violence and lawlessness if they don’t get their way don’t represent the majority of Virginians,” she said.
