Virginia Declares State of Emergency After Armed Militias Threaten to Storm the Capitol

The governor said law enforcement had intercepted “extremist rhetoric” similar to the lead-up to Charlottesville days before pro-gun activists are holding a rally.

In response to what he described as “credible intelligence” of threats of violence at an upcoming gun rights rally in Richmond, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has declared a state of emergency and will temporarily ban individuals from carrying firearms on Capitol grounds.

The governor said at a press conference Wednesday that authorities believe “armed militia groups plan to storm the Capitol” during the January 20 rally.

He also said that law enforcement had intercepted threats and “extremist rhetoric” similar to what was observed prior to the violent Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in August 2017. “We will not allow that mayhem and violence to happen here,” he said.

The decision to ban all weapons, including firearms, won’t sit well with the thousands of gun lovers who are expected to descend on Richmond to participate in what was billed as an open-carry affair and an opportunity to flex Second Amendment rights.

Breaking: NASA, Navy Personnel Rush to Recover Artemis II Astronauts After Pacific Ocean Landing

Sen Tim Sheehy makes emergency landing after in-flight engine failure

Pelosi, California Dems slam Swalwell over bombshell sexual assault allegations: ‘Indefensible’

Washington Post Journalist Pleads Guilty in Child Porn Case

Planned Parenthood Lost More Money Than It Made as Taxpayer Funding, Abortions Increased

Wes Moore preemptively unloads on Baltimore Sun ahead of expose, as spox beefs with ‘right wing’ ownership

Ex-staffer claims Swalwell sexually assaulted her. He denies allegations

On Nato, It’s Time to Take the Maverick from ‘Top Gun’ Approach: ‘Don’t Think, Just Do’

Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Antifa-tied group’s plan for chaos, school probe over transgender policy

Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Bahamas missing woman mystery, Athena Strand bodycam, Gilgo Beach guilty plea

Trump unveils new renderings for arch with ‘one nation under God’ inscription

Kamala Harris ‘might’ run for president in 2028, but black voters are skeptical of the idea

Kamala Harris Gives the Surest Sign Yet She’s Running in 2028 with Al Sharpton Event Speech

Teens suspected of murdering congressional intern linked by DNA on shell casings, prosecutors say

LATE BREAKING: Trump Issues Shockingly Graphic Post Targeting Haitian Illegal Accused of Murdering Mother of 2

“No weapons will be allowed on Capitol grounds,” said Northam, a Democrat. “Everything from sticks and bats to chains and projectiles…. The list also includes firearms. It makes no sense to ban every other weapon but allow firearms when intelligence shows that armed militia groups plan to storm the Capitol.”

On the Facebook page for the rally, several attendees are already saying they won’t comply and leave their weapons at home — even though Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has vowed a hard line on rule-breakers. “Violations of the law will not be tolerated,” Stoney said.

The January 20 event, dubbed “Lobby Day,” was organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a pro-Second Amendment nonprofit, in response to new gun control legislation introduced by the Democrat state Legislature. Northam acknowledged that the organizers had been planning the rally for some time. “I believe them when they say this is a peaceful event — that’s what democracy is,” said Northam. “Unfortunately, they have unleashed something much larger, something they may not be able to control.”

Upwards of 5,000 people said on the Facebook page that they plan to attend. Event organizers have warned the state that as many as 100,000 could show up.

A website for the rally shows that at least 60 buses are scheduled to transport attendees into Richmond on Monday. And there’s word that carpools are being organized. What’s more, armed militia groups are also planning to attend, and some have even described the event as a “boogaloo” — a term that the far right uses to describe a second civil war.