Police stopped a car of Black men and confiscated two of their guns at Virginia’s annual “Lobby Day” on Monday while white gun rights activists defied local laws unimpeded in the state capital of Richmond.

In a day with racial tensions on display, Black protesters denounced what they called a double standard in a state where people are free to openly carry firearms.

Virginians converge on the capitol each Lobby Day to petition state legislators on issues of public interest, but the day has been dominated by gun rights activists in recent years. It coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which honors the slain civil rights hero.

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Reuters witnessed the police stop of the African Americans, which stood in contrast to dozens of white pro-gun activists on foot and in hundreds of trucks that drove through Richmond’s streets flying “Guns Save Lives” flags without police interceding.

They were stopped one block from Richmond’s memorial to Confederate General Robert E. Lee, less than an hour after a white, anti-government “boogaloo” leader boasted on a megaphone that his group was violating gun and ammunition laws.

One of the Black men to have handguns confiscated unleashed an expletive-laden complaint, calling it a double-standard and an example of why many African Americans resent the police.

“Everybody in the city is carrying today, and you’re only pulling us over,” yelled a Black woman who was looking on with a group of enraged bystanders. “Shoutout to Martin Luther King Day!”

Richmond police did not immediately respond to a Reuters query about the incident and about the protesters’ allegation of discrimination. On Twitter, police said they had issued a summons to one man at that scene for possessing a concealed firearm without a permit, and had confiscated the gun.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/washington-on-high-alert-ahead-of-biden-inauguration-357513">WATCH|</a>

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This year’s Lobby Day took place in a highly polarized climate, coming shortly after supporters of President Donald Trump seized the U.S. Capitol and after a year in which anti-racist and white nationalist demonstrators clashed at demonstrations across the United States.

Authorities were on high alert in Richmond, about 110 miles (175 km) south of Washington, D.C., where Democratic President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on Wednesday, replacing the Republican Trump.

Windows at the statehouse were boarded up, the public entrance was fenced off, and police patrolled the grounds.

But only dozens of protesters assembled on Monday, compared to last year’s crowd of 22,000, as estimated by police.

Similarly, nationwide pro-Trump demonstrations on Sunday largely fizzled after several states deployed the National Guard.

About an hour before the Black men were pulled over, boogaloo leader Mike Dunn hoisted a megaphone alongside about 10 members of his “Last Sons of Liberty” group, all white men.

Dunn told the assembled reporters and police that his group was openly carrying semiautomatic rifles “in pure defiance” of local laws, and “rocking mags (ammunition magazines) with double the legal limit.”

Dunn confirmed to Reuters that his group faced no police blowback.

City law allows police to ban openly carrying guns at large public events, but they did not intervene against most gun owners on Monday.

“Virginia is and remains an open carry state,” Richmond police said in a statement.

The demonstrators, including boogaloos sporting their trademark Hawaiian shirts, Proud Boys, and about 20 members of two Black self-defense groups were outnumbered by reporters.

Despite being united in their support for gun rights, racial tensions were visible.

Members of the Black Lives Matter 757 and Original Black Panthers of VA were talking to reporters near the Richmond statehouse when a group of Proud Boys walked by flashing the “OK” hand gesture commonly used as a white power sign.

Police stopped a car of Black men and confiscated two of their guns at Virginia’s annual “Lobby Day” on Monday while white gun rights activists defied local laws unimpeded in the state capital of Richmond.

Police stopped a car of Black men and confiscated two of their guns at Virginia’s annual “Lobby Day” on Monday while white gun rights activists defied local laws unimpeded in the state capital of Richmond. In a day with racial tensions on display, Black protesters denounced what they called a double standard in a state where people are free to openly carry firearms. Virginians converge on the capitol each Lobby Day to petition state legislators on issues of public interest, but the day has been dominated by gun rights activists in recent years. It coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which honors the slain civil rights hero. Also read| Iran laughs at US' crumbling democracy amid fears of riots during inauguration Reuters witnessed the police stop of the African Americans, which stood in contrast to dozens of white pro-gun activists on foot and in hundreds of trucks that drove through Richmond’s streets flying “Guns Save Lives” flags without police interceding. They were stopped one block from Richmond’s memorial to Confederate General Robert E. Lee, less than an hour after a white, anti-government “boogaloo” leader boasted on a megaphone that his group was violating gun and ammunition laws. One of the Black men to have handguns confiscated unleashed an expletive-laden complaint, calling it a double-standard and an example of why many African Americans resent the police. “Everybody in the city is carrying today, and you’re only pulling us over,” yelled a Black woman who was looking on with a group of enraged bystanders. “Shoutout to Martin Luther King Day!” Richmond police did not immediately respond to a Reuters query about the incident and about the protesters’ allegation of discrimination. On Twitter, police said they had issued a summons to one man at that scene for possessing a concealed firearm without a permit, and had confiscated the gun. WATCH| This year’s Lobby Day took place in a highly polarized climate, coming shortly after supporters of President Donald Trump seized the U.S. Capitol and after a year in which anti-racist and white nationalist demonstrators clashed at demonstrations across the United States. Authorities were on high alert in Richmond, about 110 miles (175 km) south of Washington, D.C., where Democratic President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on Wednesday, replacing the Republican Trump. Windows at the statehouse were boarded up, the public entrance was fenced off, and police patrolled the grounds. But only dozens of protesters assembled on Monday, compared to last year’s crowd of 22,000, as estimated by police. Similarly, nationwide pro-Trump demonstrations on Sunday largely fizzled after several states deployed the National Guard. About an hour before the Black men were pulled over, boogaloo leader Mike Dunn hoisted a megaphone alongside about 10 members of his “Last Sons of Liberty” group, all white men. Dunn told the assembled reporters and police that his group was openly carrying semiautomatic rifles “in pure defiance” of local laws, and “rocking mags (ammunition magazines) with double the legal limit.” Dunn confirmed to Reuters that his group faced no police blowback. City law allows police to ban openly carrying guns at large public events, but they did not intervene against most gun owners on Monday. “Virginia is and remains an open carry state,” Richmond police said in a statement. The demonstrators, including boogaloos sporting their trademark Hawaiian shirts, Proud Boys, and about 20 members of two Black self-defense groups were outnumbered by reporters. Despite being united in their support for gun rights, racial tensions were visible. Members of the Black Lives Matter 757 and Original Black Panthers of VA were talking to reporters near the Richmond statehouse when a group of Proud Boys walked by flashing the “OK” hand gesture commonly used as a white power sign.

Police seize firearms from Black men at Virginia rally for gun rights

The US Senate on Monday rejected four measures restricting gun sales after last week&#39;s massacre in an Orlando nightclub, dealing a bitter setback to advocates who have failed to get even modest gun curbs through Congress despite repeated mass shootings. 
 
A group of senators was still hoping to forge a compromise for later in the week aimed at keeping firearms away from people on terrorism watch lists, although that effort faced an uphill battle with critics in both parties skeptical about its chances. 
 
Last week&#39;s massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, had intensified pressure on lawmakers, who moved swiftly to take the issue to the Senate floor. But the gun-control measures lost in largely party-line votes that showed the lingering political power in Congress of gun rights defenders and the National Rifle Association (NRA). 
 
Republicans and their allies in the NRA gun lobby said the Democratic bills were too restrictive and trampled on the constitutional right to bear arms. Democrats attacked the Republicans&#39; two proposals as too weak and accused them of being in the thrall of the NRA. 
 
&quot;What am I going to tell the community of Orlando?&quot; asked Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida after the votes. &quot;Sadly, what I&rsquo;m going to tell them is the NRA won again.&quot; 
 
Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, attacked the Democrats&#39; amendments and thanked Republicans for rejecting them. &quot;Today, the American people witnessed an embarrassing display in the United States,&quot; he said. 
 
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said the Democratic measures were ineffective and Republican senators &quot;are pursuing real solutions that can help keep Americans safer from the threat of terrorism.&quot; 
 
As the parties remain largely locked in their positions, polls show Americans are increasingly in favor of more restrictions on guns in a country with more than 310 million weapons, about one for every citizen. 
 
The issue is already a prominent one for voters in November elections. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton supports new gun restrictions, while Republican Donald Trump expressed a willingness to talk to the NRA about the issue. 
 
After the votes, Clinton issued a one-word statement: &quot;Enough.&quot; It was followed by the names and ages of the dead in Orlando. 
 
Gun control efforts failed after mass shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 and a conference center in San Bernardino, California, in 2015. But some senators see resistance to gun restrictions softening as national security looms larger in the debate. 
 
The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, pledged allegiance to the militant group Islamic State as he killed 49 people in a gay nightclub. 
 
&quot;This country is under attack ... it&#39;s not a plane or an explosive device, it&#39;s an assault weapon,&quot; said Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who led a 15-hour filibuster last week to draw attention to the effort to restrict guns. 
 
&#39;Shame on every single senator&#39; 
 
Murphy walked off the floor after the Senate votes and embraced Erica Smegielski, the daughter of Dawn Hochsprung, a Sandy Hook principal killed during the Newtown shooting. 
 
&quot;He said, the good thing about me and you is we&rsquo;re young, we&rsquo;ll be at this a long time,&quot; said Smegielski, 30. 
 
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week found that 71 per cent of Americans favor at least moderate regulations and restrictions on gun sales. That compared with 60 per cent in late 2013 and late 2014. 
 
Senior Senate aides left open the possibility of other votes later in the week on unspecified gun control proposals. Some Republicans pinned hopes on a proposal by Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, which was not one of the four bills being considered on Monday. 
 
Collins&#39; plan would restrict gun purchases to a narrow group of suspects, including those on a &quot;no-fly&quot; list or a &quot;selectee&quot; list of people who require additional screening at airports.. 
 
But Democratic aides said people credibly suspected of involvement in terrorism would not be covered by the weapons ban under Collins&#39; bill, and a Republican aide indicated it would not do enough to protect the constitutional rights of gun buyers. 
 
Even if the Senate approved a gun compromise, it would also have to be passed by the more conservative, Republican-majority House of Representatives. House Republican leadership aides did not comment on the possibility that any bills proposing gun restrictions would be considered on the House floor this week. 
 
On Monday, all four of the measures to expand background checks on gun buyers and curb gun sales to those on terrorism watch lists - two put forth by Democrats and two by Republicans - fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage in the 100-member chamber. 
 
Gun-control advocates expressed disappointment after the vote and vowed to take revenge on lawmakers at the ballot box in November. 
 
&quot;Shame on every single senator who voted against these life-saving amendments and protected the rights of terrorists and other dangerous people to buy guns,&quot; said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. &quot;The Brady Campaign will expose these politicians for who they really are and call out their failure to disarm hate in America.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Republicans and their NRA allies said the Democratic bills were too restrictive, the Democrats said the Republican's bills were too weak

The US Senate on Monday rejected four measures restricting gun sales after last week's massacre in an Orlando nightclub, dealing a bitter setback to advocates who have failed to get even modest gun curbs through Congress despite repeated mass shootings. A group of senators was still hoping to forge a compromise for later in the week aimed at keeping firearms away from people on terrorism watch lists, although that effort faced an uphill battle with critics in both parties skeptical about its chances. Last week's massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, had intensified pressure on lawmakers, who moved swiftly to take the issue to the Senate floor. But the gun-control measures lost in largely party-line votes that showed the lingering political power in Congress of gun rights defenders and the National Rifle Association (NRA). Republicans and their allies in the NRA gun lobby said the Democratic bills were too restrictive and trampled on the constitutional right to bear arms. Democrats attacked the Republicans' two proposals as too weak and accused them of being in the thrall of the NRA. "What am I going to tell the community of Orlando?" asked Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida after the votes. "Sadly, what I’m going to tell them is the NRA won again." Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, attacked the Democrats' amendments and thanked Republicans for rejecting them. "Today, the American people witnessed an embarrassing display in the United States," he said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said the Democratic measures were ineffective and Republican senators "are pursuing real solutions that can help keep Americans safer from the threat of terrorism." As the parties remain largely locked in their positions, polls show Americans are increasingly in favor of more restrictions on guns in a country with more than 310 million weapons, about one for every citizen. The issue is already a prominent one for voters in November elections. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton supports new gun restrictions, while Republican Donald Trump expressed a willingness to talk to the NRA about the issue. After the votes, Clinton issued a one-word statement: "Enough." It was followed by the names and ages of the dead in Orlando. Gun control efforts failed after mass shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 and a conference center in San Bernardino, California, in 2015. But some senators see resistance to gun restrictions softening as national security looms larger in the debate. The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, pledged allegiance to the militant group Islamic State as he killed 49 people in a gay nightclub. "This country is under attack ... it's not a plane or an explosive device, it's an assault weapon," said Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who led a 15-hour filibuster last week to draw attention to the effort to restrict guns. 'Shame on every single senator' Murphy walked off the floor after the Senate votes and embraced Erica Smegielski, the daughter of Dawn Hochsprung, a Sandy Hook principal killed during the Newtown shooting. "He said, the good thing about me and you is we’re young, we’ll be at this a long time," said Smegielski, 30. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week found that 71 per cent of Americans favor at least moderate regulations and restrictions on gun sales. That compared with 60 per cent in late 2013 and late 2014. Senior Senate aides left open the possibility of other votes later in the week on unspecified gun control proposals. Some Republicans pinned hopes on a proposal by Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, which was not one of the four bills being considered on Monday. Collins' plan would restrict gun purchases to a narrow group of suspects, including those on a "no-fly" list or a "selectee" list of people who require additional screening at airports.. But Democratic aides said people credibly suspected of involvement in terrorism would not be covered by the weapons ban under Collins' bill, and a Republican aide indicated it would not do enough to protect the constitutional rights of gun buyers. Even if the Senate approved a gun compromise, it would also have to be passed by the more conservative, Republican-majority House of Representatives. House Republican leadership aides did not comment on the possibility that any bills proposing gun restrictions would be considered on the House floor this week. On Monday, all four of the measures to expand background checks on gun buyers and curb gun sales to those on terrorism watch lists - two put forth by Democrats and two by Republicans - fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage in the 100-member chamber. Gun-control advocates expressed disappointment after the vote and vowed to take revenge on lawmakers at the ballot box in November. "Shame on every single senator who voted against these life-saving amendments and protected the rights of terrorists and other dangerous people to buy guns," said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "The Brady Campaign will expose these politicians for who they really are and call out their failure to disarm hate in America." (Reuters)

US senate rejects gun control measures

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Police seize firearms from Black men at Virginia rally for gun rights

US senate rejects gun control measures