New Mexicans openly carry guns, defy ban
New Mexicans Sunday began openly carrying their firearms in defiance of a new “public health order” banning civilians from carrying guns.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham last week declared gun violence a public health emergency and prohibited taxpayers from carrying firearms for 30 days after an 11-year-old boy was shot to death. While she admitted the order stood on shaky legal footing, Lujan Grisham claimed that no constitutional right is absolute, and neither is her oath to uphold the Constitution.
But footage posted to social media Monday by News2Share showed crowds gathered in Old Town, Albuquerque openly carrying guns and vowing not to comply with the edict.
“All we want to do is protect our families, our friends, our communities. I’ve gone on two combat tours with the Marine Corps and fought on the front lines. I’ve done 11 trips as an independent contractor. She thinks she has the right to take away my freedom to protect my community, I don’t think so,” a speaker told the crowd. “This will not stand, we will not comply!”
References to Native Americans were made as warnings to what might happen if civilians allow themselves to be disarmed.
“Look what the U.S. government did to the Native Americans, they tried to strip them of their rights. This is the same thing. Our Apachee brother resisted until the very end, the Navajos. We have to be the same, resilient!”
A woman who identified herself as Native American spoke and warned the demonstrators not to allow the government to take their children who “are not for sale.”
Protesters sported American and Gadsden flags. One carried a sign reading: “Our Founding Fathers warned us about you MLG [Michelle Lujan Grisham]!!!” Another sign read: “Come and take it!”
Another woman addressed the crowd, loosely quoting from Thomas Jefferson: “We have the right to correct, alter or abolish a tyrannical government,” she said to cheers.
One speaker warned attendees to constantly maintain their defiance and protest.
“If you don’t do this tomorrow, this won’t matter. It will matter for all of us, but they won’t pay attention if you’re not here tomorrow.”
He also urged anyone who believes the governor willfully violated their rights to take legal action. A woman could be heard off-camera saying she was “getting my lawyer right now.”
In the spirit of free speech, a counter-protester was invited to address the crowd but was shouted down by attendees until he removed his face mask. He commended himself for being concerned about COVID-19 but this was greeted with jeers and shouts of “We don’t care!”
Police reportedly did not make any arrests. Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina has said he will not enforce the ban while Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said he is “uneasy” about its dubious constitutional legality, according to the Associated Press.
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