Armed bystanders watch Floyd protesters march in Indiana
AYA ELAMROUSSIAssociated PressJune 4, 2020, 7:55 PM EDT
Protesters in a rural Indiana city who took to the streets to condemn racism and police killings of black people encountered bystanders who were holding rifles during the demonstration.
A video that circulated on social media shows 21 people standing along a bike trail near downtown Crown Point, Indiana, watching protesters march past them Monday during a peaceful protest against police brutality and racism. Eight of the bystanders held firearms, an act Crown Point Police Chief Pete Land said is protected under state law.
“
There were individuals — not related to a police department, just private citizens— that had their personally owned rifles displayed,” Land said Tuesday during a virtual city forum. “They have a right to do that.”
It is legal in Indiana to carry a rifle or a shotgun, but a permit is required to carry a sidearm in public, Land explained.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/peaceful-protesters-indiana-marched-armed-235502416.html