Militia Groups Hold Armed Protest on Potomac

A number of militia groups intend to rally on the banks of the Potomac River today, and they'll be packing heat. It'll be the first armed rally ever held in a national park, which ironically is only possible because of a law signed by Barack Obama. But that doesn't hold any weight with the event's organizer, who tells the Washington Post he'll be carrying a loaded pistol, unloaded rifle and a bandoleer loaded with ammo to protest the president's “totalitarian socialism.”

The event also happens to fall on the anniversary of both the Oklahoma City bombing, and the Waco showdown, but the organizers say they picked the day because it's also the anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord in the Revolutionary War. They say toting weapons mere miles from the Capitol is an “important reminder of who we are.” But gun control advocates say it's an appalling intimidation technique, saying some of the scheduled speakers have “really threatened violence.” (More militia stories.)