A Virginia Democrat said Tuesday that Second Amendment supporters who protested new gun-control legislation at the Virginia State Capitol had "terrorized Richmond."
House Delegate Lee Carter, a self-professed democratic socialist, accused participants in Monday's peaceful protest of menacing lawmakers, saying the thousands of "idiots" who demonstrated would only embolden the Democratic majority on gun control.
"The 'pro-gun' people that terrorized Richmond yesterday probably don't realize that all they did was tag team with fascists, strengthen the liberals' resolve to pass gun control bills, and force the most gun-friendly Dem (me) to not show up for a day," Carter said. "Idiots. Absolute idiots."
The "pro-gun" people that terrorized Richmond yesterday probably don't realize that all they did was tag team with fascists, strengthen the liberals' resolve to pass gun control bills, and force the most gun-friendly Dem (me) to not show up for a day.
Idiots. Absolute idiots.
— Lee J. Carter (@carterforva) January 21, 2020
Contrary to Carter's rhetoric, Monday's rally "concluded without a single incidence of mayhem or civil unrest," reported Washington Free Beacon staff writer Stephen Gutowski, who interviewed various protesters. Gov. Ralph Northam (D.), who declared a state of emergency leading up to the rally, acknowledged the event was peaceful.
One rally supporter criticized Carter on Twitter for mischaracterizing the protest, saying he had called "a bunch of dudes in masks terrorist [sic] yesterday for.....wearing masks."
"Nah," Carter responded, "pretty sure it was the terrorism."
Nah, pretty sure it was the terrorism. https://t.co/OvWsdfWz8P
— Lee J. Carter (@carterforva) January 21, 2020
Carter declined to comment when the Free Beacon asked to clarify what he meant by "terrorism."
Upon declaring the state of emergency, Northam temporarily banned firearms from capitol grounds. Carter claimed he spent Monday at a safe house after he received death threats on social media in the weeks leading up to the rally.
.@Iraqveteran8888 FYI, your video titled "Gun Gripes #217" starts off with blatantly wrong information about one of my bills, which you disseminated to your 2.2M subscribers.
People have been threatening to assassinate me over that misinformation. Retract it and let's talk.
— Lee J. Carter (@carterforva) December 31, 2019
Monday's rally was organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a pro-Second Amendment group.