Thousands gathered for a Second Amendment gun rally in Richmond, Virginia on Monday to demonstrate against the state legislature's plans to pass gun control laws.
The Washington Post reports: “State and federal officials were preparing for a volatile mix of weapons, passions and anti-government fervor. Central Richmond was braced for road closures and extensive police presence. … Gov. Ralph Northam (D) last week declared a state of emergency and issued a ban on firearms or other weapons on Capitol grounds. The state Supreme Court upheld the ban after a challenge by two gun rights groups. The Federal Aviation Administration has issued temporary flight restrictions for Richmond airspace, making it illegal to fly planes or drones above the city on Monday. Northam has said officials are concerned about threats from weaponized drones.”
Three white supremacists who are part of a group called The Base were arrested on Friday, following the arrest of three additional white supremacists on Thursday.
CNN reports: “The men — identified as Luke Austin Lane, 21; Michael John Helterbrand, 25; and Jacob Kaderli, 19 — allegedly had plans to overthrow the government and kill a couple in Bartow County, police said in a news release. All three face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and participation in a criminal gang, The Base, police said. ‘The group was involved in recruiting new members online, meeting to discuss strategy and practicing in paramilitary training camps on a 100-acre tract in Silver Creek,' where the group allegedly had a ‘training camp,' police said, citing their investigation with the FBI. According to an affidavit, the three allegedly discussed ‘the creation of a white ethno-state' and ‘committing acts of violence against minority communities (including African-Americans and Jewish-Americans)” in encrypted online chat rooms.”
Last Thursday, three additional members of The Base were arrested: “The FBI arrested three alleged members of a white supremacist group early Thursday, including two men accused of possessing a machine gun, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition and body armor parts, according to the Justice Department.”
