The Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam on Wednesday said that any weapon is prohibited on the territory of the Capitol in Richmond in anticipation of protests on the day of Martin Luther king, which is scheduled for Monday January 20.
Northam has declared a temporary state of emergency, as it became known that at the meetings can be attended by extremist groups.
JUST IN: Virginia governor declares state of emergency to temporarily ban weapons on Capitol grounds https://t.co/yhTzunmFOd pic.twitter.com/ajHGDad7PI
— The Hill (@thehill) January 15, 2020
This decision is one of several security measures that, according to Northam will be taken after law enforcement found out about the «threats of violence» related to the rally, which is expected on Monday the presence of extremists from other States and «hate groups».
Leading figures from the Charlottesville «Unite the Right» rally are headed to a spring event in Richmond on Monday, with one calling for Democratic lawmakers to be dragged out of the capitol and hung for supporting gun control laws.
https://t.co/WFD4sp2IjO
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) January 15, 2020
«Intelligence state intelligence has identified the threats and violent rhetoric similar to those that were seen in advance of events in Charlottesville», said Northam.
Attack in Charlottesville
On peaceful protest «Unite the right» in Charlottesville 12 Aug 2017 car deliberately crashed into a crowd of protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Haeri and injuring 28 people.
The driver of the car, 20-year-old James Alex fields came from Ohio to take part in the rally.
Fields has held neo-Nazi views.
White nationalists descended on Charlottesville, VA, in 2017 for a rally that erupted in violence and the death of anti-racism activist Heather Heyer.
This month, one of the rally»s organizers was found in contempt of court in a lawsuit brought by injured residents. pic.twitter.com/oMDn62WEx1
— AJ+ (@ajplus) January 16, 2020
He was sentenced to life imprisonment and 419 years in prison in the summer of 2019, pleaded guilty on 29 of the 30 Federal charges for crimes of hate.
The mayor of Charlottesville, the Minister of public safety of Virginia, the attorney General and the Director of the FBI called the attack an act of domestic terrorism.
A temporary state of emergency
According to Ralph Northam, the threats that intelligence analysts believe to be reliable, was found on online channels (including on the darknet) used by «hate groups» and white nationalists outside of Virginia. He added that «conversations are fuelled by false conspiracy theories».
Virginia governor issues a temporary state of emergency ahead of a guns rights rally militia groups and hate groups could attend — CNN https://t.co/uAFEaRYqYN
— Rick Neal (@Rick_Neal) January 16, 2020
Northam said the state of emergency will be valid from Friday evening until Tuesday evening. The ban includes open and concealed carrying of firearms and other weapons such as sticks, bats and chains.
«Please know that we are actively preparing for the protection of public safety at the rally on Monday, but no one wants a repetition of the kind of incident that we saw in Charlottesville in 2017, said Northam. — We will not allow chaos and violence occurred here.»
There is information that the League of protection of citizens of Virginia, opposes the restrictions of weapons, plans to use a meeting in Richmond to draw attention to the movement of the «Sanctuary Second amendment» that has engulfed the entire state.
Philip van cleave, President of the group, told CNN Wednesday that he «does not believe that the Governor has the right to prohibit weapons.»
After last year’s election 130 counties and cities in the state have adopted resolutions which declared support of local citizens to exercise their right to bear arms.
Thus, Virginia declared itself a haven for defenders of the Second amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to bear arms, opposing proposals to impose new restrictions on owning firearms.
3 arrest neo-Nazi suspected of inciting hatred
On Thursday, the FBI arrested three alleged members of the group of supporters of the supremacy of the white race. The arrests were made in Delaware and Maryland, and without incident, said FBI spokesman Dave Fitz.
The FBI has arrested three members of a neo-Nazi group who allegedly built a machine gun and reportedly had plans to travel to a Richmond gun rally. https://t.co/1ulm34kV8L
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) January 16, 2020
It is expected that men who, according to the Ministry of justice, are members of the international group of supporters of white supremacy, known as «The Base», was planned to take part in a demonstration in the capital of Virginia Richmond, which is expected to gather a significant crowd of extremists.
Three suspected members of a neo-Nazi group known as ‘The Base’ were arrested ahead of gun-rights rally in Virginia https://t.co/PssTd1fXw1 pic.twitter.com/iiTv92xAua
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 17, 2020
They are charged with possession of firearms and crimes related to immigration. In court on Thursday afternoon, January 16, a Federal judge has ordered to leave their custody.
33-year-old Bryan mark Lemley is accused of transporting a machine gun and other firearms and ammunition with intent to commit a serious crime.
Lemley and 19-year-old William Garfield Bilbro IV also accused the shelter of a foreigner — a 27-year-old Patrick Jordan Matthews, a canadian citizen and former combat engineer in the Canadian army reserve.
As CNN reports it , Matthews is charged with transporting firearms and ammunition with intent to commit a felony and illegal stay in the United States.
Lemley and Matthews, who were arrested together in Delaware, broke their mobile phones and threw them in the toilet before they were arrested, said the Prosecutor at the hearings on Thursday.
