Thousands came from all over the state, many of them carrying their own weapons.
“I’m just here to support the second amendment,” said one person attending, “support the constitution. Support gun rights, the right to be able to defend myself.”
Legislators will consider several bills that could limit the size of magazines, restrict the sale of military-style weapons, and require a permit before purchasing, among other changes.
Michael Falcioni, a veteran from central Oregon, said he’s never taken a political stand till now. “We don’t think those bills that they’re proposing make sense,” he said.
Walt Scholl takes issues with limiting magazine size to five or ten rounds. He showed up with several large magazines around his belt. He explained, “The majority of the guns you buy are 11 or 12 round magazines.”
Many people feel like these bills are unfairly targeting law-abiding gun owners.
On the other side, KATU heard from Penny Okamoto, executive director of Ceasefire Oregon. She says guns aren’t making people safer here in Oregon. “There are a lot of gun violence prevention bills that were introduced in Oregon this year,” she said. “That really speaks to how much the public and the legislators really want to do something to reduce gun violence in Oregon.”
She said most Americans agree with many of the proposed changes.
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