New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Matt Murphy
State House News Service
Gun rights activists staged a demonstration on Cape Cod on Saturday afternoon to protest Gov. Charlie Baker’s refusal to include gun shops on the state’s list of essential businesses that are allowed to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dozens of activists, many wearing masks, gathered on the grass at the Bourne Bridge Rotary holding signs demanding that gun shops, as well as the broader economy, be allowed to reopen. Some protesters also held “Don’t Tread On Me” posters and large signs for Jay McMahon, the Republican running in a special election for a state Senate seat that covers Plymouth and parts of the upper Cape.
“Our liberal GOP Governor not only closed our gun stores statewide, he prohibited online firearms courses, and made firearm businesses ineligible for state small business loans. Even the Democratic Governor of Maine followed President Trump’s guidelines and made Maine gun stores essential,” said Adam Lange, the sponsor of the protest and the founder of United Cape Patriots. The gun group Massachusetts Gun Rights also participated.
Some gun stores and activists have sued Baker in federal court over his decision to close gun shops during the pandemic. The governor’s business closure executive order runs through May 4, but could be extended.
