January 08, 2013 07:15 PM UTC

"Juan-A-Be The Luchador" Organizes Opening Day Pro-Gun Rally

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• by: Colorado Pols

WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Today’s pro-gun rally didn’t live up to the intimidating Facebook bluster, but there were nonetheless a few striking moments, as forwarded to us:

FOX 31’s Eli Stokols reports:

After vowing online to brandish weapons to strike fear into the hearts of politicians contemplating gun control, the group of gun owners who attended a rally near the Capitol Wednesday let their signs and Gadsden flags do most of the talking.

While some admitted they were carrying concealed weapons, protesters were passionate but controlled as they stood alongside Lincoln Avenue across from the Capitol where the legislature opened earlier in the morning.

“This is about freedom, this is about being an American,” said Karen Murray, of Parker.

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It’s been our pleasure a few times now to acquaint our readers with Edgar Antillon–as featured in our 2010 “Crooks and Criminals” tour, the former legislative candidate in Colorado House District 35 also known as “Juan-A-Be The Luchador.”

You might remember Antillon’s brief return to the spotlight this past fall as the Adams County chairman of the Mitt Romney campaign’s Latino outreach effort, Juntos con Romney.

During which he presumably was not wearing a luchador mask and packing heat.

Today, Kurtis Lee of the Denver paper directs us to the Facebook event page for tomorrow’s rally in Lincoln Park, organized by Antillon and a group called “Guns For Everyone.”

With increasing talks about gun control in Colorado, Guns for Everyone, a local and somewhat of a newcomer to Colorado’s pro-gun scene, will host a pro-gun rally at the capitol on opening day of the legislative session.

“Evil is a consequence of freedom, the alternative is slavery,” said Isaac Chase, local freedom crusader and friend of Guns for Everyone. “It is a nice theory that we can legislate ourselves into a completely safe world, but we can’t and that is why it is important we fight for the few freedoms we still have.”

The main focus of the rally is gun freedom, but Guns for Everyone is a strong supporter of anything freedom, so this is more about freedom than simply guns.

Edgar Antillon, co-founder of Guns for Everyone and former state house candidate, said this was not just about guns but more importantly about freedom. “We can debate until we’re blue in the face about gun statistics, but gun ownership is more about freedom. I’m not comfortable with all that freedom has to offer – marijuana, alcohol, abortion, but I’d rather be uncomfortable than be a slave to the government.”

As Lee explains and a quick read of the comments on this event makes clear, Antillon and many attendees are bringing legally concealed weapons. But there seems to be some unfortunate confusion about the law: although Colorado is an “open carry” state, Denver municipal ordinance prohibits the open carrying of firearms. Reactions to discovering this…um, vary.

Others appear to want to take the rally’s agenda even further.

It’s also stated on the event page that the rally has been moved from its original location on the west steps of the capitol, across the street into Lincoln Park, for “security reasons.”

Folks, that is possibly the only thing on the whole page that makes any sense.