Kyle Rittenhouse, Michigan gun rights supporters lament new safety laws at rally

Correction: This story has been updated to correctly reflect Matt Hall’s votes on gun control bills.

IONIA TWP. — Second Amendment rights supporters gathered at a farm outside Ionia Wednesday, where several high profile speakers said their rights to own firearms were being infringed by the state and federal governments.

About 100 supporters showed up at the event on Freedom Farms in Ionia Township. The event, which included vendors, food sales and open displays of firearms, was set to take place on the Capitol lawn in Lansing until logistical issues caused the rally to relocate, organizer Jon Rocha said.

Among the crowd of speakers was Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted after killing two protestors during civil unrest in Wisconsin. Rittenhouse and others criticized Michigan’s recent slate of gun laws that were passed by Democrats with some Republican support.

“Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her anti-freedom cohorts are hellbent on shredding Second Amendment rights for law-abiding Michiganders,” Rittenhouse said.

Rittenhouse called House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, a “weak-kneed Republican” who "opened the door" to a red flag law. Hall was one of five House Republicans to vote for the three bills establishing safe storage, drawing outrage from some conservatives. Hall did not vote for the bills establishing a red flag law.

Rittenhouse may have also been under the impression that Republicans controlled the House — asking, "what's the point of a Republican majority?" — when in fact Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature. A message seeking comment was left with Hall's office.

Rittenhouse was confronted by protestors in August 2020 during civil unrest in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police. Rittenhouse shot and killed two protestors who confronted him. He was charged with two counts of homicide but was acquitted after arguing he was exercising his right to self-defense.

“The choice I made to defend myself wasn't just about survival,” he said. “It was a testament to why our right to bear arms is essential.”

In addition to red flag laws, Whitmer signed measures requiring safe storage of firearms in some situations and implementing background checks for all firearms and to include the private transfer of guns.

When signing some of those measures in April, Whitmer celebrated the “commonsense gun action” that would “reduce violence and save lives.”

"Gun violence is a scourge that is unique to this country and that's why we're taking action,” she said. “We don't have to live like this and today we're showing that we're not going to.”

Mark McCloskey and his wife Patricia gained national attention for holding firearms on their lawn as Black Lives Matter protestors walked by their home in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mark McCloskey, who unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate following the incident, detailed his experience at Wednesday's gathering and credited his family’s weaponry with saving their lives.

“We didn't have to fire a shot, but we held off a mob 350 to 500 people,” he said. “And that's the value of the Second Amendment.”

Jon Smith attended the event and is the 5th Congressional District chair with the America First Hillsdale Republican Party. The America First party is separate from the official Hillsdale Republican Party and has been involved in legal action with the group previously.

“I do definitely think it's infringing on our civil liberties, and I think we're going to continue to see more of that if the average Republican doesn't stand up in the community,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to end any time soon.”

Micah Young, a Second Amendment activist and YouTube creator, called gun debates “a battle of good versus evil.”

“Evil always has prevailed, and Michigan is prevailing way too much right now,” he said.

The only elected official seen attending the event was State Rep. Steve Carra, R-Three Rivers. State Rep. Bob Bezotte and U.S. Senate candidate Nikki Snyder sponsored the event, while Michigan GOP co-chair Malinda Pego spoke at the event in support of attendees.

Contact Sheldon Krause at skrause@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @sheldonjkrause.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Kyle Rittenhouse, Second Amendment gun rights advocates rally in Ionia