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Tim Ravndal, former president of the Big Sky Tea Party Association, said he's wasn't nervous about attending the rally after being ousted over an anti-gay exchange on Facebook. Behind him stand student counter-protesters.
Tea party encourages guns at Montana Capitol rally
STEPHEN DOCKERY, Associated Press
HELENA — Tea party supporters toting guns gathered on the steps of the Montana Capitol Friday, but the rally was something of a misfire, bringing out far fewer people than in previous years.
The Lewis & Clark's Conservative Tea Party group received permission to bring unloaded and secured weapons onto Capitol grounds to support allowing guns in off-limits areas. Weapons are usually prohibited on Capitol grounds. People opposing the rally say guns in public areas are a threat of violence and have no place around the Capitol.
Friday's three-hour gathering was sparsely attended compared to a similar rally last year. Less than a dozen people carried arms, and media members and curious state employees appeared to outnumber attendees.
The organizer and conductor of the rally, Tim Ravndal, said the rally is about protecting Second Amendment rights by making legislators see and hear how important gun rights are.
A bevy of gun-rights bills are advancing through the Legislature this session, including one to allow guns into prohibited places such as bars and government buildings and another to allow concealed carry in cities without a permit.
Ravndal also said the rally was trying to draw attention to a range of issues protecting freedoms.
Conservative lawmakers streamed out to the rally lectern throughout the day to speak in support of a variety of tea party backed initiatives, such as federal nullification and eminent domain measures.
The Montana Human Rights Network condemned the rally, saying in a statement that guns around the Capitol do not provide a safe environment for democracy.
State workers at their own Capitol rally outnumbered the tea party supporters. The state workers noisily protested in the Capitol rotunda a pending bill to reduce state employee pay to 2005 levels.
The bill's hearing in the House was canceled for the day.
HELENA — Tea party supporters toting guns gathered on the steps of the Montana Capitol Friday, but the rally was something of a misfire, bringing out far fewer people than in previous years.
The Lewis & Clark's Conservative Tea Party group received permission to bring unloaded and secured weapons onto Capitol grounds to support allowing guns in off-limits areas. Weapons are usually prohibited on Capitol grounds. People opposing the rally say guns in public areas are a threat of violence and have no place around the Capitol.
Friday's three-hour gathering was sparsely attended compared to a similar rally last year. Less than a dozen people carried arms, and media members and curious state employees appeared to outnumber attendees.
The organizer and conductor of the rally, Tim Ravndal, said the rally is about protecting Second Amendment rights by making legislators see and hear how important gun rights are.
A bevy of gun-rights bills are advancing through the Legislature this session, including one to allow guns into prohibited places such as bars and government buildings and another to allow concealed carry in cities without a permit.
Ravndal also said the rally was trying to draw attention to a range of issues protecting freedoms.
Conservative lawmakers streamed out to the rally lectern throughout the day to speak in support of a variety of tea party backed initiatives, such as federal nullification and eminent domain measures.
The Montana Human Rights Network condemned the rally, saying in a statement that guns around the Capitol do not provide a safe environment for democracy.
State workers at their own Capitol rally outnumbered the tea party supporters. The state workers noisily protested in the Capitol rotunda a pending bill to reduce state employee pay to 2005 levels.
The bill's hearing in the House was canceled for the day.
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