Maryland – -(Ammoland.com)- Last Monday, February 5, 2018, two members of the firearms community [ The Patriot Picket ] were arrested while performing protest activities on the public sidewalks in front of Lawyers Mall on the Annapolis Maryland State House grounds, as they have done in the same spot consistently for the past three sessions of the General Assembly.
They were handcuffed, taken to the Annapolis Police Department station, processed, ticketed and released within a couple of hours; they received additional tickets related to the original incident when they met with the Maryland Capitol Police the very next day. As of this notice, the Maryland Capitol Police has made a request to the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney to drop all charges.
This incident has a chilling effect on 1st Amendment-protected activity – peaceful assembly and redress of grievances.
Those involved, and other members of the firearms community, are making plans to assemble in protest of this infringement of 1st Amendment-protected civil liberties again this coming Monday evening, February 12, 2018, in the same location as the arrests.
Maryland State Rifle And Pistol Association believes in the defense of the entirety of the Constitution and its attendant amendments; if any of our members plan to attend of their own accord, please be cognizant that there may be additional encounters with law enforcement and, based on last Monday’s experience, there exists a possibility of arrest related to activities in the area performed by peaceful protesters – please plan accordingly for the safety of any wishing to participate.
Warmest regards,
Mike Doherty
Maryland State Rifle And Pistol Association
2nd Vice President – Legislative Affairs
About Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association (MSRPA):
The Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association (MSRPA) is the flagship Gun Rights organization in and for the State of Maryland. The Association offers both individual and club memberships. Support of the shooting disciplines and legislative activities is primarily through a systems of committees. All participants are volunteers. In the face of a near tidal wave of citizen disarmament occurring in Maryland, the MSRPA has played a critical part in drawing the line and standing firm for Gun Rights. Without this resistance, things would have been much worse and been so much sooner. Now the objective is to continue to develop new activists with numerous individual skills who will help us bring Maryland into line with the rest of the states which have made strong gains in protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
For more information, visit: www.msrpa.org.