Now that the rights-violating Virginia legislature has given local jurisdictions the power to dream up their own infringements of basic human/civil rights, it appears that the city of Richmond has gone hog wild.
At the August 10 meeting of the Richmond City Council, the Stoney administration introduced an ordinance to modify current Richmond City Code section 19-334.1; Carrying Firearms in Certain Places.
Currently, the code bans firearms in city-owned and -operated parks and facilities. The newly introduced ordinance would also prohibit the possession, carrying or transportation of any firearms in any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way or any open public space when it is being used by, or is adjacent to, an event that requires a city permit.
This ordinance does not broadly ban firearms in these public spaces. Rather, it bans firearms when a permitted event, or an event that should be permitted, is taking place.
Tote the elements of that press release which I emphasized.
Now imagine that you are walking or driving down the street in possession of your lawfully possessed defensive firearm and your concealed carry license. Suddenly, an unpermitted flash mob — be it Bolshevik Lying Marxists or PantyFa — assembles.
You are now a criminal; a Class 1 misdemeanor good for a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Apparently, even if the mob is a block over from you, you’re “near” it. Because someone else decided to hold an unlawful public assembly.
Mayor Stoney’s office did not respond to questions, nor make the actual proposed ordinance text available. Taking the press release at face value, there is no exemption for licensed concealed carry. It is unknown how they plan to enforce this. Neither “near” nor “adjacent” is defined.
Richmond Mayor Stoney is proposing to preemptively disarm you — an actual peaceable person — for the mob’s convenience.