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Armed Activists Demonstrate Outside Texas Capitol To 'Stand Up For Individual Rights'

A small group of armed protesters rally outside of the Texas state Capitol grounds. Protesters separated themselves from individuals who took part in the recent attack at the U.S. Capitol, saying their demonstration was scheduled months before.
A small group of armed protesters rally outside of the Texas state Capitol grounds. Protesters separated themselves from individuals who took part in the recent attack at the U.S. Capitol, saying their demonstration was scheduled months before.

A couple dozen armed demonstrators gathered at the Texas Capitol on Sunday "to [preach] the message of individual liberty."

"We are for the Bill of Rights. We're for standing up and our elected officials adhering to the Constitution," Kris Hunter told KUT. "That is a contract that they signed with us. And we are here to say: You are to honor that contract."

Participants said Sunday's rally had been planned for months, but turnout was reduced because the Texas Department of Public Safety closed the Capitol grounds. DPS said it made the decision to close the grounds through Wednesday "out of an abundance of caution" over reports of planned protests by "violent extremists" ahead of Inauguration Day.

Hunter said his group condemned the actions of pro-Trump extremists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and that they had nothing to do with the violence.

He said demonstrators were at the state Capitol to stand up for everyone's individual rights, not just the right to bear arms.

"Think about it in this context: If I don't exercise my body, then, you know, I get frail, I get weak. If I don't exercise my rights, they get frail, they get weak," he said. "So we need to come out and exercise our rights, so that they can remain strengthened and that everyone knows that people are willing to exercise their rights, because if you don't, then they can pull them right out from underneath you. We don't want that to happen."

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Kris Hunter (center) and two other armed protesters join a small rally outside of the state Capitol grounds on Sunday.
Michael Minasi /
Kris Hunter (center) and two other armed protesters join a small rally outside of the state Capitol grounds on Sunday.