Anti-lockdown protestors in the US have sprung up in response to the anti-CoVid-19 stay-at-home orders and although they are currently overshadowed by other protests, and the relaxation of lockdowns across the United States, many are still taking place. The protestors claim that the lockdowns are unconstitutional and violate the individual’s right to freedom of movement.
In many states with open carry laws (legally allowing people to walk around with firearms unconcealed) these protestors have appeared armed, but one seen in Raleigh, North Carolina, caught the eye of Travis Long a photojournalist for The News & Observer. He captured the image of anti-lockdown protestors in a Subway sandwich shop with pistols, shotguns and even a rocket launcher.
The protest was hardly the first of its kind – prominently armed protestors entered the Michigan State Capitol in early May demanding an end to lockdown for what they said were constitutional and economic reasons. This led to a tense standoff with security officials.
Long then tweeted the image and it soon went viral, with many commenting that the image was surreal or a sad inditement of US gun control laws.
A group of about 11 mostly-armed demonstrators protesting the stay at home order marched around downtown Raleigh and ordered sandwiches at a Subway. #Covid_19 #ncpol #MealTeamSix pic.twitter.com/XA1BIU7JHH
— Travis Long (@vizjourno) May 9, 2020
According to The News&Observer, this particular protest was organised by a group called Blue Igloo who from their Facebook page stated the protest was an:
"Opportunity for First and Second Amendment supporters to get together, meet people with commonalities and get some exercise while we're all wasting away at home."
The Livestream of the incident even shows the armed protestors asking politely if they could enter the shop to order saying that they were not trying to scare anyone. They then proceeded to buy their sandwiches and return to the protest.
Closer inspection of the images showed that the rocket-launcher (which is certainly not legal in the United States) had the words ‘inert’ or ‘safe’ put across it, indicating it was no longer viable and therefore just an ornament, or was simply a fake prop. A machine gun also on closer inspection appeared to be made out of wood.
This led to mockery online, with one meme switching their guns for sandwiches.
— 153 days and counting (@MeThatYouKnow) May 9, 2020
Questions being asked regarding the protest was to why they would wish to appear with fake weapons and if they didn’t realise they would be opening themselves up for mockery. It will wait to be seen as to how further protests against lockdown occur should restrictions not be eased further or if there is a second wave of infections and further lockdowns later in the year.
North Carolina as of June has almost 1,000 coronavirus deaths and 30,000 official cases.
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