AP claims ‘Protesters at DNC could be armed’


“Protesters at DNC could be armed.” That’s the headline of a misleading article hitting news outlets around the state. Last weekend the Associated Press disseminated the story, claiming that our statewide preemption law wouldn’t let the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department ban guns at anticipated protests during the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

 

The problem is that it’s patently false.  Under N.C.G.S. 14-277.2, guns have been banned at demonstrations and protests for at least 30 years. GRNC’s calls to Mark Newbold, the CMPD attorney quoted in the AP article were answered by claims that the article misquoted him. Meanwhile, the AP refuses to issue a retraction, and the “update” they supposedly issued updates little or nothing.

 

Then it became apparent what the CMPD and/or AP are up to: Charlotte recently passed an ordinance to handle “extraordinary events” such as the DNC, but found that although they could ban something as mundane as the carrying of backpacks in uptown Charlotte, they couldn’t ban guns. Why? Because in the 1990s, GRNC helped pass a statewide preemption law preventing municipalities from enacting gun laws more stringent than state law.

 

 

Uptown Charlotte a ‘gun-free zone’?

 

 

So what the misleading article is actually lamenting is not CMPD’s inability to ban guns at protests, but rather its inability to ban guns EVERYWHERE IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE!!

 

And what would this fear-mongering accomplish? After all, the preemption law already prevents CMPD from banning self-protection in the entire uptown area. Indeed it does…unless enough pressure could be generated to cause the General Assembly to pass the ban as a “local bill” in its upcoming session. Local bills, you see, supersede preemption.

 

 

Paul Valone TV Interview


Watch GRNC President Paul Valone on WSOC from today:

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/city-ordinance-doesnt-keep-everyone-carrying-guns-/nNNMb/

 

 

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED


  • Contact Mayor Anthony Foxx of Charlotte
    • E-mail: mayor@charlottenc.gov
    • Phone: 704-336-2241
    • Mail: Mayor Anthony Foxx; 600 East Fourth Street, 15th Floor;  Charlotte, NC 28202
  • Contact the Associated Press:
    • AP Head of Bureau Michelle Williams at MWilliams@ap.org or (404) 523-7301 (office) or (404) 985-4826 (mobile)
    • AP headquarters: 919-510-8937
    • Fax:919-834-1078

 

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

 

To:          Michelle Williams, Bureau Chief, Associated Press

The Honorable Anthony Foxx, Mayor of Charlotte

 

On Friday, a news piece run across the state by the Associated Press featured an interview with Charlotte Mecklenburg Police attorney Mark Newbold. Entitled “Protesters at DNC could be armed,” the piece claimed protestors at the upcoming Democratic National Convention could legally bring guns to demonstrations. That assertion is patently false: Under N.C.G.S. 14-277.2, guns at protests have been prohibited for at least 30 years.

 

It has become apparent that what is at issue is not the inability of the CMPD to ban guns at demonstrations, since it may already do so, but rather the inability under our statewide firearms preemption law to ban guns in the entire Uptown area of Charlotte during the so-called “extraordinary event” promulgated by the DNC.

 

I am delivering notice to the City of Charlotte that I will fight any attempt to implement a widespread gun ban during the DNC or any other so-called “extraordinary event.” Both the AP and the CMPD attorney’s office can also consider themselves notified that I will not tolerate fear-mongering at the expense of my rights. Whether by accident or design, the misleading information now running across the state should be immediately and forcefully retracted.

 

It should also be noted that Grass Roots North Carolina and other plaintiffs recently won the Bateman v. Perdue case, striking down as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment a blanket gun ban during declared states of emergency not unlike the “extraordinary event” ban which is apparently being contemplated.

 

I will be monitoring this issue via Grass Roots North Carolina alerts.

 

Respectfully,

 

 

GRNC SEEKS PRO-GUN CONTRACTOR


 

Happily, the explosive growth of GRNC means we have outgrown our tiny office. In order that volunteers may more efficiently process your memberships, mailings and other items, we are moving to a larger space in the same building for only a modest increase in rent.

 

The new GRNC office is a two room suite.  The two rooms were connected by an interior doorway, but the landlord closed this opening for previous tenants.  Pursuant to an agreement with the landlord, we need a licensed, insured contractor to restore this opening.  Unfortunately there are no plans or other documentation of exactly how the door was removed, so experience in how interior walls of an older commercial building are modified will be helpful.  The office is in Cameron Village, Raleigh. If you can help, please send an email to: member@GRNC.org

 

 

Support the organization
that defends your gun-rights!

 

If you haven't yet joined, DO IT NOW https://ssl4.westserver.net/grnc.org/join.html!

 

If already a member, DONATE to keep the pressure effectively applied  https://ssl4.westserver.net/grnc.org/join.html!

Copyright Info

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© 2012 GRNCFFE, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution is permitted provided full attribution is given and the item is reprinted in its entirety. Address questions to: President@GRNC.org

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GRNC Sponsors

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