Gun rights group calls to disarm security at Democratic Convention
A Second Amendment organization is asking the Democratic National Committee to “put up or shut up” on gun free zones by having unarmed security at their upcoming convention.
Noting that the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where the DNC is set to assemble in July, has long prohibited private firearms, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms has started a petition calling to reject armed security as a gesture towards gun control.
“Virtually all recent gun control proposals at the federal and state levels have been launched and championed by Democrats,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb in a statement emailed to Guns.com. “It’s time for the party to ‘put up or shut up’ about guns. The best way to do that is to forsake armed security during the convention.”
The petition calls for two items:
- There shall be no armed security allowed at the Wells Fargo Center, for the duration of the Democratic National Convention. No police or sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, federal law enforcement in or out of uniform will be allowed.
- In the event of protests within the immediate vicinity of the Wells Fargo Center, police should not be asked or expected to respond.
A Change.org petition started last month by an admitted Democrat and gun control advocate to allow lawful open carry at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio garnered over 53,000 signatures.
In that case, the Secret Service rebutted that under U.S. law, they have the authority to prohibit firearms from entering sites under their protection and plan to enforce that discretion. Congress has already allocated $50 million to provide security for the event while Cleveland Police are expecting to put as many as 5,000 officers on the street outfitted with new riot gear for crowd control.
Philadelphia also has applied for $50 million in federal funds to protect the DNC convention, according to city spokesman Mike Dunn.
“We’re going to have a flawless security plan that does not interfere with the ability of the citizens of Philadelphia going about their daily business,” Dunn told Philly.com, “that gives protesters their ability to protest but that also . . . gives the party the ability to put on a convention to nominate their presidential candidate.”
Guns.com reached out to the Democratic National Committee for comment and will update this piece if one is received.
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Source: http://www.guns.com/2016/04/07/gun-rights-group-calls-to-disarm-security-at-democratic-convention/
