Gun rights advocates rally in Richland over proposed restrictions

About 60 Tri-Citians brought flags, NRA hats and a desire to protect their right to own any type of gun to John Dam Plaza on Saturday.

The Richland protest was a smaller version of the rally on the capital steps in Olympia on Friday.

Tri-City organizer Mike Wingfield said he wanted to make sure people who weren’t able to travel across the snowy pass could express their opinions.

“We wanted to show the Tri-Cities has their back. We’re not going to put up with this. This is too important,” he said.

Gov. Jay Inslee and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson are supporting bills capping the size of magazines sold in Washington to 10 rounds and looking to ban the sale of assault weapons.

The Richland protesters also were upset about the passage and implementation of Initiative 1639. The initiative made several changes to the laws for semi-automatic rifles, including requiring enhanced background checks and making it illegal for anyone under 21 to buy them.

For Wingfield, it’s important to protect the U.S. and state constitutions.

Many at Saturday’s event said they were concerned they wouldn’t be able to protect themselves or their loved ones without the weapons.

Jessica Wurdeman of Kennewick said she was confronted by a man who tried to get into her car while she was warming it up. She needed to pretend to be armed to get him to back away from her car.

“This is a protection that is given to you whether you choose to carry or whether you don’t,” she said. “If they take those rights away, then you have nothing.”

A member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Wurdeman said her family’s history of military service is another reason she supports constitutional gun rights.