鈥楢ntigovernment鈥� Gun Protesters Planning to Be Arrested in Washington Capitol
Ratcheting up their resistance to Washington state鈥檚 new gun-control law, anti-government gun owners are planning to show up at the state Capitol in Olympia this weekend in an open attempt to be arrested for violating newly-installed rules against carrying weapons into legislative hearings.
The effort to overturn , which mandated background checks for most gun sales in the state and was approved by nearly 60 percent of state voters in the 2014 election, originated in December with a 鈥淲e Will Not Comply鈥� rally at the Capitol. At that rally, which drew hundreds of participants as well as some leading antigovernment figures, gun owners openly exchanged weapons in defiance of the law鈥檚 reporting requirements.
Then, on Jan. 15, about 200 protesters showed up at the Capitol to again protest the new law while the state Legislature was in session. During that event, a number of protesters went inside the Capitol and displayed their long guns in the upper gallery of the House chambers. Such defiance sparked concern among state officials and legislators, who worried that the display was a bald attempt to intimidate lawmakers.
Lt. Gov. Brad Owen huddled with state legislators, and in short order both banning open displays of firearms in their respective chambers. Shortly after that, weapons in the Capitol.
So now, the same protesters are planning to return in larger numbers on Saturday and defy new Capitol rules. Some of the organizers make clear that they intend to be arrested by state police when they do so.
A Facebook page dedicated to the protest, titled , declares, 鈥淲e call upon the Governor of Washington to uphold his oath and respect our unalienable rights. Liberty For All and The Patriots Stand are teaming up to stand on February 7 and demand that Jim Moeller step down, and our rights be recognized. 鈥�
Another 鈥淧atriot鈥� organization calling itself the Patrick Henry Society, led by sometime legislative Sam Wilson, issued a press release titled 鈥淕un Owners Prepare for Arrest at WA State Capitol鈥�.鈥�
鈥淚f the legislature feels the need,鈥� said Sam Wilson of Liberty for All, 鈥渢o prohibit peaceful citizens from openly carrying firearms into the people鈥檚 viewing chamber, it certainly makes a reasonable person question what motivates them to disarm the people viewing them while they are in session, serving as the representatives of the people.鈥�
Already, it appears to be an uphill climb for widespread acceptance of the protest.
The Jan. 15 incursion into the House chambers was denounced by the mainstream gun-rights groups that organized the rally, notably Alan Gottlieb of the Bellevue-based Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, who told that the gun-waving incursion was 鈥渢he result of a few stupid extremists on our side who not only handled their firearms unsafely, but made the hundreds of Second Amendment supporters at the rally look foolish.鈥�
鈥淚rresponsible actions get us bad results,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his kind of childish theater hurts our cause.鈥�
However, the protesters were of Spokane, a far-right Republican with a long history of involvement in 鈥淧atriot鈥� causes. Shea also posed for photos with them.
"Tyranny is not an option," Shea said in a rising voice. "The right to bear arms is unalienable. It can't be taken away by a majority vote. It can't be taken away by the Legislature. It can't be taken away by the Supreme Court. God gave us that."
