Posted on 08/29/2007 11:29:14 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
More than 100 gun-rights advocates, most carrying handguns on their hips and wearing buttons saying "Guns Save Lives," came to the City Council on Tuesday night to protest what they called harassment of law-abiding gun owners by city officials.
The protest was called by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun-rights group, after Chet Szymecki of Yorktown was arrested in June at Harborfest for carrying a gun.
Szymecki was arrested for violating a city ordinance banning guns at Harborfest - an ordinance that officials now acknowledge violates state law. City Attorney Bernard A. Pishko said city officials were unaware of a state law prohibiting localities from banning guns.
Carrying a weapon openly is legal in Virginia, even at a large gathering such as Harborfest. Once city officials realized their error, the charges against Szymecki were dropped.
"We made a mistake," Councilman Barclay C. Winn said. "It was unintentional."
Most who came to protest didn't appear to believe it was an innocent mistake.
"You know it was illegal," said Dave Vann, who drove from Falls Church to speak. "You arrested someone, and now it's going to cost you dearly."
Szymecki, a Navy veteran, said he was manhandled and hurt and that his wife, Deborah, his three children and two other children who accompanied them were traumatized. He said he has hired Norfolk attorney Stephen Merrill.
An emotional Deborah Szymecki told the council that after several police officers were done handcuffing her husband, she was left without money or the keys to the family car.
Others rose to describe incidents in which they said they were questioned and often handcuffed by police for simply carrying a firearm openly.
"Apparently you have some officers who don't understand the law," said the president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Philip Van Cleave of Midlothian.
The meeting drew more rowdy as it continued, with speakers receiving thunderous applause and some expressing disgust for the council. Some used unsavory terms to describe the police.
Councilman Paul R. Riddick left the meeting as gun-rights advocates began speaking, he said, in protest of their protest.
Kim Barton, who would not say where she lives, tried to speak but was told by Mayor Paul Fraim that she couldn't because she had not signed up to speak.
"I want to hear what she has to say," Vann said.
Fraim replied, "I'm running this meeting " and informed Vann his time to speak had expired.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
More likely to change his underwear. Kudos to these "citizens".
Leave it to the same media which characterises liberal commie protestors as “peace-loving objectors”, even if they’re stopping traffic and harassing people, to call these people “rowdy” for heated speech.
Stupid democrat politicians. Your rights are what they say they are. Sit down and shut up or their police will lock you up!
Law??? We don’t need no stinkin’ law!
It’s comments like that that give O’Reilly ammo.
Keep to the higher standards.
Ping!
I'd bet that city council meeting went something like this:
"Hey, let's ban guns at Harborfest!"
"But the CIty Attorney says that's not legal!"
"Screw 'em; let 'em take us to court!"
The last time the VCDL went there there were about 8 police officers there, I assume to protect teh dimwits from the legal citizens. Last night, there were one or two officers there and it was SRO. The city will pay big bucks for their stupidity, of course that is my tax money, but the families were seriously harassed and suffered.
In Virginia it really isn’t possible for any public official to have been unaware of the law regarding “open carry”.
Maybe it's time for a new city attorney to advise the council.
You positively REEK of troll. Enjoy your short stay.
Ignorance of the Law is no excuse Bernie. How many times did you hear that in law school?
What a frigging putz...
L
Ping
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