Protesters March on Washington with Toy Guns, Water Gun Fight Breaks Out
July 3rd, 2013
In response to the announcement (and eventual cancellation) of an armed open carry march on Washington DC, liberty activist Austin Petersen of TheLibertarianRepublic.com decided to create a protest of his own, which took place this morning. NBC reported on . A group of gun rights supporters carrying toy weapons and water pistols gathered today in Arlington, VA and marched to the National Mall in Washington DC.
The march and rally were held to advance the gun rights debate in the wake of escalating encroachments on the right to bear arms, including the local ordinance itself that prevents the open carrying of firearms in Washington DC. After the march, protesters listened to speakers, played games, and enjoyed a friendly water gun fight. Check out the video commercial for the Toy Gun March below, and let’s talk gun rights after the jump.
Protests and Publicity
Effective protests amplify the voices of the protesters, as media outlets will sometimes cover them, depending on the size and significance of the event. In the case of the Toy Gun March, a small number of activists were able to achieve significant national coverage by choosing a compelling theme. That is, by any estimation, an efficient use of a group of people’s time on a Wednesday morning.
The Toy Gun March satirized recent examples of gun hysteria, such as the little boy who was suspended from school for accidentally eating his Pop Tart into the shape of a gun, by having an eat-Pop-Tarts-into-the-shape-of-a-gun contest. The family friendly toy gun theme was likely chosen as a thematic alternative to the full-blown open carry march that was at one time announced and then canceled.
A Kinder, Gentler Gun Rally
While open carry marches themselves are often effective ways to restore lost gun rights, the national debate over the right to bear arms has taken an angry turn of late, with both sides digging their heels in and cementing themselves in their positions. With emotions running high in the wake of recent mass casualty events, the Toy Gun March helped to de-escalate these feelings by tapping into America’s natural gun culture.
Most Americans recall spending summers squirting water guns at friends, and the Toy Gun March combined the spirit of family and fun with discussions on responsible gun ownership. In fact, toy guns themselves have been subjected to unusual restrictions of late, as kids have been suspended from schools across the country for pretending to be soldiers or playing cops and robbers at recess. The Toy Gun March put these absurdities into better perspective.
Americans have a fundamental human right to self-defense against anyone who would inflict violence against them, and this can only be guaranteed through responsible gun ownership. For generating positive national media attention on behalf of gun rights, Austin Petersen and the other toy gun marchers are this week’s Rebel of the Week winners.
Silver Circle is showing now on Video on Demand platforms! Check it out on our watch online page and find out about local theater showings of the film and other special events on our -->event page -->.
