澳彩开奖

Originally scheduled for April 14, the Louisiana rally was supposed to occur at the same time as 49 other events in state capitals across the nation.听

The purported intent of the April 14 NCCPA rallies 鈥� 鈥淎mericans for America鈥� 鈥� was to serve as gun owners鈥� civic response to the 鈥淢arch for Our Lives鈥� protests that mobilized over听听in dozens of cities across the U.S. on March 24.

The rallies were more than simply an ardent defense of gun rights.

The event organizers 鈥� whose听听flyer听indicated that they would welcome anyone supporting gun rights, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion 鈥� also stated that 鈥淣o extremists will be tolerated!鈥�

Despite the 鈥渘o extremists鈥� policy, the NCCPA, has not been shy about its ties to the anti-government 鈥�Patriot鈥� movement. According to the听听of the NCCPA鈥檚 website, its leadership and members, 鈥渃ome from all walks of life, including Three Percent Groups and local militias, in order to unite and tell the Country that it鈥檚 time to put America back on track!鈥澨�

As the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights听, three of the individuals administering and moderating the NCCPA鈥檚 national Facebook page showed ties to, or signs of ideological affinity toward, far-right extremists.听

Page administrators Matthew Johnson and David Clayton both hold听听within the Three Percent Republic, an听anti-government extremist听group. Johnson, who often goes by the moniker 鈥溾�� (a reference to his Florida residence and Three Percenter ideology), also helps to run a far-right political group called Patriots United for Freedom-PAC (PUF-PAC). Moderator Quintin Lyman has posted pictures of the Three Percenter logo on his personal Facebook profile.

Hatewatch has identified a fourth individual instrumental in co-administering many of the NCCPA state chapter Facebook groups, Melanie MacDonald. On her personal Facebook profile she posted logos of the Constitution Party, an organization whose state chapters have been listed by 澳彩开奖 as听anti-government extremist听驳谤辞耻辫蝉.

More than a handful of extremists at the top

However the NCCPA鈥檚 ties to far-right anti-government extremism go well beyond these four individuals.听

Despite the 鈥渘o extremists鈥� rule and attempts by some state activists to听听ties with far-right extremism, Hatewatch found at least 33 states where the NCCPA sought to organize its own rally and had associations with the Patriot movement.听

Associations included rally organizers and speakers who expressed support for movements and groups directly associated with antigovernment extremism, as well as identifying several examples 鈥撯�� such as Indiana, Arizona and New York State 鈥撯�� where the logos of Three Percenter and听Oath Keeper groups听were displayed on NCCPA event flyers.

The most frequent type of association found was individuals who expressed support for Three Percenter ideology, but not for a specific group. Those who did express support for specific groups, included ones that operate nationwide such as American Patriots Three Percent, Oath Keepers, the Constitution Party, Lightfoot Militia, and United Patriots Three Percent, along with various groups operating within particular states such as the Illinois State Militia, Utah Unorganized Constitutional Militia, First State Pathfinders, Missouri Brotherhood Militia and the Freeman Party.听

It was not uncommon to see听听补苍诲听being flown at many of the NCCPA-organized state rallies. At the Arizona rally, members of one militia group, the Arizona Liberty Guard,听听in an armored personnel carrier.

Attracting hate groups

Members of the Patriot movement weren鈥檛 the only ones who showed support for the rallies.听

In Georgia, the Atlanta rally was organized by Chris Hill, leader of the Three Percenter Security Force (IIISF). In addition to its anti-government views common to most militia factions, IIISF associates are also notorious for their anti-Muslim听hate听听听听鈥� something that has been a point of contention among militia groups and others.

In North Carolina, the Raleigh-based听听reported that Tara Brandau and her boyfriend Ryan Barnett (described by the paper as Tara Brandeau and Brian Barnett) attended the event.听

Brandau is an active member of the Florida IIISF and听has ties tothe League of the South, a secessionist neo-Confederate听hate group.听

In Utah, a group of men from the state Proud Boys chapter showed up in support.听

The听Proud Boys听is a hate group that frequently uses anti-Muslim and sexist rhetoric and spreads white nationalist memes online.听

In Tennessee, invited speakers included Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain and gubernatorial candidate Mae Beavers, both political long-shots. Swain, who is African American,听听was criticized for听praising a documentary听that听defended white racism, while Beavers gained notoriety for听听to organize a 鈥淗omeland Security Summit鈥� featuring three听blatantly听anti-Muslim听speakers.

NCCPA overstates its size, still vastly overshadowed by March for Our Lives听

Shortly after all but the Louisiana rally had concluded, NCCPA associate Matt Johnson attempted to spin coverage of the low turnout. In a blog post on the PUF-PAC website, titled, 鈥淭housands Rallied at Their State鈥檚 [sic] Capitols,鈥� Johnson听, 鈥淭he turnout, was actually not as low as the media would like for you to believe.鈥� He pointed to a handful of examples he considered successful, including the Connecticut rally which he claimed 鈥渁s much as 2,000鈥� people attended. Days before the events, David Clayton of West Virginia told the听听that he hoped attendance would also reach 1 million nationwide. However听provided attendance numbers showing that NCCPA鈥檚 rallies fell far short of its desired goal.

Rallies hampered further by poor planning and infighting听 听 听 听 听听

Several of the NCCPA rallies were dogged by various factors that lowered attendance.

The most pronounced problems occurred in Georgia. Organized by IIISF national leader and Georgia chapter head Chris Hill, the rally was in jeopardy of being cancelled. According to a report by the听, 鈥渢he Georgia Department of Public Safety confirmed Thursday that organizers were told they need to pay about $6,700 for security at a rally where the expected attendance is 500 people. A group that held a gun control rally last month was charged a similar fee.鈥澨�

In the run-up to the event, controversy surrounding Chris Hill and his IIISF organization resulted in in-fighting between prospective attendees. One individual voiced concern about optics at the rally and wanted to convey the impression that gun owners 鈥渁ren鈥檛 just a bunch of militia,鈥澨�听that attendees avoid displaying Confederate flags and open-carrying weapons.听

Others still expressed discomfort with Hill and the IIISF鈥檚 prior anti-Muslim antics, going so far as to听a听听of Hill and his IIISF faction by a rival militia group called The Three Percenters 鈥� Original.听

听

听

Despite seeking to portray their April 14 events as a defense of Second Amendment rights in the wake of another mass shooting, it鈥檚 clear that the NCCPA rallies were much more than that. From top to bottom, the NCCPA is permeated by antigovernment extremists and its rallies were reflective of that. Far from representing the views of most Americans, including other gun owners, the low attendance at its rallies strongly suggest the NCCPA and its supporters in the Patriot movement only represent themselves.

听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

听