Gun-toting protesters in camo condemn red flag laws at Kentucky Capitol

Around 100 gun owners from across the state have converged on the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort on Friday for a rally in support of the Second Amendment.

Organized by the group We Are KY Gun Owners, the rally is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will include speeches from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Dick Heller, a former Washington, D.C., special police officer whose landmark 2008 U.S. Supreme Court victory in District of Columbia v. Heller overturned the district's gun ban and, in doing so, affirmed the rights of individuals to keep weapons for self-defense in their homes.

Spurred by events in Virginia, where the Democratic governor and Democratic majorities in both chambers have pushed for a host of gun-control measures, Second Amendment advocates in Kentucky have looked to stave off any firearms regulations in Frankfort.

A handful of firearms-related bills have been proposed in the 2020 legislative session. One aims to repeal last year’s passage of a law allowing people to carry concealed guns without a permit; another would require background checks for private firearms sales and mandatory reporting of lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement.

More coverage: You no longer need a permit for concealed carry in Kentucky

But an as-yet-unfiled extreme risk protection order bill, commonly called a "red flag law," which would allow for the temporary removal of firearms from people deemed in danger of harming themselves or others, has generated considerable worry among gun-control opponents in Kentucky.

In response, a group calling itself Kentucky United has led the charge in lobbying county leaders to pass “Second Amendment sanctuary” resolutions that declare their opposition to any infringement on the right to keep and bear arms.

More than 90 of Kentucky’s 120 counties have passed versions of these nonbinding resolutions since mid-December.

Two other gun-rights rallies have taken place in Frankfort this month. The first, held Jan. 7, drew a few hundred people to the Capitol grounds. It also exposed an apparent contradiction in security procedures.

While Capitol visitors have been barred from bringing umbrellas and sticks like the kind used to hold protest signs in the building — presumably because those items could be used as weapons — photos from that Jan. 7 rally showed attendees being able to bring actual weapons — their rifles — into the Capitol Rotunda.

See also: At Kentucky Capitol, you can carry a gun ... but don't conceal umbrellas

Live updates

This story will be updated throughout the day with coverage from the Capitol.

You can also follow along on Twitter with our reporters in Frankfort, including Jonathan Bullington, Sarah Ladd, Billy Kobin and Joe Gerth.

2:30 p.m.: Dick Heller, with Massie standing next to him holding a rifle with a sign saying "the first assault rifle," rallied the crowd to chant "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon."

Heller, a hero among some gun owners, condemned red flag laws and said universal background checks are just a way for the government to track legal gun owners.

And, Heller said he thinks the entire nation should have reciprocal carry, which means each state would honor the concealed carry laws of another state.

The crowd thinned after Heller spoke.

Rhonda Palazzo, a Republican running against John Yarmuth, then gave a 3-minute speech ink which she swore to never vote on anything that would infringe on gun rights if she makes it to Washington.

"The power is in the people, and that's where it should stay," she said.

"We will never, in Kentucky, allow them to take away our right to bear arms," Palazzo said to cheers.

1:30 p.m.: Joseph Springer, of Fairdale, said Louisville lawmakers are “definitely not reordering my views” and is working on introducing a 2A sanctuary resolution in Jefferson County.

“It’s an uphill battle but I’m going to work on it. Anybody that supports the Second Amendment, it’s a big predictor if they support the Constitution.”

12:45 p.m.: Massie spoke to a cheering crowd, at one point waving his gun in front of the rallygoers. The Northern Kentucky congressman, who opened his speech by saying God created man and Sam Colt — whose company led to the mass production of revolvers — made them equal, said it’s everyone’s God-given right to bear arms.

He condemned red flag laws, saying they would be enforceable and people would end up in jail over them. And he condemned universal background checks, saying they’re just the government’s way of tracking what kind of guns people have.

11:45 a.m.: Attendees at Friday's rally told Courier Journal reporters they’re concerned about red flag laws but feel the majority of Kentucky lawmakers support the Second Amendment.

“We wanna make sure we don’t lose that,” said Jo M., who declined to give her full name. She was working at the rainy rally for the Three Percenters, a gun-rights group, and wore a orange arm band that said security team. She said the attendedid not anticipate any counterprotesters or “opposition.”

Others said they feel that the only way to let Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, know they intent to keep their weapons is to show up at the Capitol for events like this one.

11:15 a.m.: Rally attendees carrying guns were told to walk around the metal detector in the Capitol building. People not carrying guns had to walk through it and get swiped with a wand.

Jonathan Bullington is an investigative reporter. Reach him at: 502-582-4241; JBullington@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @jrbullington. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/jonathanb.