Thousands of gun rights supporters will gather in front of the Capitol building at Richmond, Virginia for a 'Lobby Day' organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL). The rally, that will take place under heavy surveillance is to express VCDL's opposition to gun control laws proposed by state Democrats, who control the Virginia government.
Authorities declared a state of fearing violence by far-right groups. Many shops in the area will be closed, and an alert has been sent out by the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond asking students to stay vigilant.
The VCDL has condemned what it considers a breach of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, which states that "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." The amendment has proved controversial over the years and has been subject to many different interpretations.
"The VCDL (organizers) have intended this to be a peaceful event, but they have unleashed something much larger that they might not be able to control," Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said.
"No one wants to see an incident like the one we saw in Charlottesville," he added, referring to incidents in another Virginia city where clashes between white supremacists and anti-racist demonstrators in August 2017 resulted in one dead and dozens wounded.
At the end of last week, the FBI arrested seven alleged members of the white extremist group "The Base" suspected of trying to create trouble at the rally.
Lobby Day, or pro-gun rights rally takes place every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is on January 20. The event is a small one, which usually attracts a few hundreds.
The US Supreme Court has ruled that individuals have the right to keep firearms in their households, but left it to states to determine how the weapons could be transported.
President Donald Trump, a major ally of the pro-gun lobby, expressed his support for the protesters on Twitter Friday.
"Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia," he wrote.
This year organizers and officials expect thousands to participate as the Democratic-controlled legislature of proposing several gun control measure, some of which would limit handgun purchases and require background checks.
Governor Northam said they have seen "credible and serious threats" of "violence, armed confrontation and assault on our Capitol (from) groups with action plans." The groups include out-of-state militias and hate groups, he said.
