Shortly before noon a small crowd gathered on the Clark College campus to rally with Joey Gibson and Patriot Prayer. School administrators canceled classes today in anticipation of the rally, leaving the campus mostly empty. The demonstration is protesting Initiative 1639, a gun-safety measure on the November ballot, and drew a crowd made up of media as much as Patriot Prayer members or followers.

Gibson started the rally with a call to recall Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. Gibson is a Vancouver resident. A few people carried or wore flags draped over their shoulders and Make America Great Again hats could be seen in the crowd. A few people also had No on I-1639 signs.

Steven Cox, a former candidate for Vancouver mayor, also spoke at the rally, calling himself an expert on self-defense. Cox shot and killed a suspected prowler in his backyard Oct. 18, 2017. He was not charged in the shooting.

Campus security was on standby during the rally, on the fringes of the event in case of any violence or other issues.

Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, a frequent figure at Patriot Prayer rallies around the Northwest, told the crowd the government is trying to “wage war” on the Constitution.“If I have a gun, I can pop a criminal straight right there,” Toese said.