Police Chief Calls Out Armed Protest Threat In Washington DC

[kenny blankenship]

20. Anytime you break the law while armed

I don't think you get to claim a protective mantle of "non-violence" or "civil disobedience" anymore. Not that those are actually legal protections when you are breaking laws, but they are a claim on the moral high ground. By abjuring violence-even in the face of police violence- and protesting without bringing along any "self-defense" in the form of weapons, nonviolent protesters demonstrate that their political expression is not a danger to the community and that any use of violence to suppress it is illegitimate. Bring your gun with you while disobeying the law deliberately, and you are making a clear and unmistakable threat of violence to law enforcement. The community is quite reasonable in fearing for its safety if/when armed men start parading illegally.