Michigan lawmaker enters State Capitol flanked by rifle-toting black men just days after hundreds of white, armed protesters opposed the lockdown

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Michigan lawmaker enters State Capitol flanked by rifle-toting black men just days after hundreds of white, armed protesters opposed the lockdown
Michigan Rep. Sarah Anthony on Wednesday was escorted to the State Capitol building by a trio of black armed men.YouTube/City Pulse Skyler
  • Michigan Rep. Sarah Anthony was flanked by three black men toting rifles when she entered the State Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday.
  • It's been less than a week since hundreds of protesters descended on the building while the legislature was in session, carrying guns and racist symbols to oppose the coronavirus lockdown.
  • "It was just unnerving to me as a woman and as a person. These community volunteers today won't be needed all the time, but they wanted to have a presence today," Anthony told City Pulse.
  • Michael Lynn, Jr. a community activist who organized Anthony's security detail said, "We came out here today to make sure we could provide some protection, even if it's only just to make her feel better."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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Three black men brandishing rifles escorted a Michigan lawmaker to the State Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday, just days after hundreds of angry and armed white protestors stormed the building to protest the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.

Rep. Sarah Anthony told City Pulse that she didn't ask for help, but was glad to have extra protection so she could attend an appropriations committee meeting without fear of being threatened.

"We were all just appalled by the lack of support and lack of security that I had, that other legislators had, and the fact that a lot of the demonstrators last week were adorning many racist, anti-Semitic signage," Anthony told the local news outlet. "I think it just triggered a lot of folks, especially African Americans."

Anthony was referring to an incident on April 30 when gun-toting protestors descended on the building to express their displeasure about Gov. Gretchen's extension of the statewide stay-at-home order until May 15. Michigan has more than 45,700 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 4,256 deaths, based on data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

"The majority of the protesters were white," Anthony said to City Pulse. "I'm still not exactly sure on the connection between confederate flags and Nazi symbolism. They just had no connection to the stay-at-home orders. The fact they were carrying guns openly while we voted was unnerving."

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Anthony filmed a video of the protest, which, she said, featured guns, Confederate flags, Nazi symbols, nooses and other racist paraphernalia.

"I could hear the fear in her voice during that protest. It was the visual of her being that scared to go to work. It meant we had to do something. We came out here today to make sure we could provide some protection, even if it's only just to make her feel better," Michael Lynn Jr., a black community activist who was responsible for her protective detail, told City Pulse. He was previously suspended from the Lansing Fire Department, where he works, and who he also sued for racial discrimination.

Based on Whitmer's latest decree, residents are required to continue maintaining social distancing and wear masks in enclosed spaces, but they are free to travel between their main and second homes, and even go out on boats and play golf.

Here is a video of Anthony being escorted, from City Pulse Skylar.

Protests have erupted across the United States with people demanding to be freed from the coronavirus lockdown so they can return to work. But what happened in Michigan was unprecedented because the demonstrators crowded into the state capitol while the legislature was in session — guns in hand.

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Although signs are banned in the building, police said the protestors were within their rights, "as long as the person is carrying the firearm with lawful intent and the firearm is not concealed."

But Anthony said, "It was just unnerving to me as a woman and as a person. These community volunteers today won't be needed all the time, but they wanted to have a presence today."

Lynn believes that police would have cracked down harder if armed black people had protested the way the white crowd did last week.

"We want to change the narrative, first of all," he told City Pulse. "We want people to understand that people of color can come out here with guns just the same as anybody else can."

That said, Lynn stressed his opposition to an open carry law inside the Capitol.

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"There are certain things that are just inappropriate," he said. "We don't take guns in the courthouse. We don't take guns into City Hall. Why would we take guns of this caliber into the Capitol? I have 150 rounds on me right now. I could make terror. This could wreak havoc."

Anthony echoed the sentiment, telling City Pulse that she is in favor of completely banning firearms inside the Capitol if they're not carried by law enforcement officers. Or, she said, only concealed carry should be permitted.

"I will be advocating for a change, at the very least, to ban open carry inside the building," she said. "For one, it's more intimidating. Obviously, we have a right to bear arms, but concealed would be easier. I don't think we need to be intimidated with large firearms while we're doing our jobs."

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