Gun-rights supporters rally in Hillsborough to support Second Amendment

Hundreds of gun-rights advocates rallied in Hillsborough on Saturday to show their support for the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution at a time when several mass shootings have led to calls for greater gun control.

Attendees, some wearing empty gun holsters because weapons were legally prohibited at the march, waved signs and heard passionate speech in defense of gun rights. Organizers said the rally was needed because of the anti-gun sentiment that has emerged since the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Organizers had expected 200 to 300 people to gather at the old Orange County Courthouse.

“We’re not trying to incite people or rabble-rouse,” Ashley Campbell, an event organizer, said in an interview with WCHL before the march. “One of our goals is to provide an opportunity for local officials, who mostly promote gun control, to listen to their constituents’ concerns. Most interactions between constituents and their representatives have it the other way around.”

The Parkland shooting has led to marches around the country, many organized by students, calling for stronger gun laws.

In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper and Democratic legislators have called for changes such as raising the age to purchase assault-style rifles from 18 to 21 and banning “bump stocks,” which allow guns to mimic fully automatic fire. They also want judges to be able to order people considered physical threats to themselves or others to surrender weapons temporarily.

But Republican legislative leaders didn’t act on the Democratic proposals this year.

This story was originally published July 21, 2018 at 4:18 PM.