'We Can Defend Ourselves': Gun Enthusiasts Rally For 2nd Amendment
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4)- Gun enthusiasts gathered for a rally in Longmont to defend their 2nd Amendment rights, after a city council in the same county recently voted to ban assault weapons.
Some of the rally goers who lined up with signs and flags at the intersection of Nelson Street and Hover Road on Saturday openly carried pistols and semi-automatic rifles as part of the demonstration.
Other attendees chose not to carry openly in the wake of Friday's deadly mass shooting at a school near Houston, Texas.
"We will never eradicate evil, but we can defend ourselves from it," said Lesley Hollywood, organizer with Rally for our Rights.
"The right to self-defense is important, said Patrick McClintock, a Longmont native who helped get the event started.
"Most people that own firearms aren't going to go out and do these horrible mass shootings," said Austin Harper, who also attended.
Earlier this month, the city council in Boulder banned assault weapons, bump stocks and large capacity magazines.
"Their definition of assault weapon is so broad. It bans nearly every single firearm in the city," Hollywood said.
Hollywood planned the rally, one of four, in response to the March for our Lives rally on March 24. Students in Denver joined in a national event demanding tougher gun control on the heels of the February massacre in Parkland, Florida.
"I would like to just see some action and some legislation. It's been 20 years without much legislation... Student lives are important," high school senior James McDermott said at the March rally.
Some of Saturday's rally goers, however, believed that gun violence could be lessened by allowing school staff who chose to carry firearms in schools.
"Something that will allow armed people to be there. Good guys to harden the target so it's no longer a soft target," McClintock said.
A date for the next rally had not been set.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.