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The National Constitutional Coalition of Patriotic Americans (NCCPA) is promoting April 14 “Americans for America” pro-gun rallies at state capitols around the country. The events are billed as addressing “the importance of protecting the Second Amendment and the rest of the Bill of Rights.” Organizers suggest that attendees not bring guns; claim that all races, ethnicities and religions are welcome; and warn that “No extremists will be tolerated!”

Despite such claims, gun rights rallies are notorious for their firm foot in far right politics. This event is no exception. The sponsoring NCCPA states that that “We come from all walks of life, including Three Percent groups and local Militia.” The group’s Facebook page posts material from far right militia advocate and white supremacist fellow-traveler Larry Pratt’s Gun Owners of America.

One administrator of the NCCPA Facebook page is Matt Johnson, also a manager of the Patriots United for Freedom PAC (PUFF-PAC) page. While focused on gun issues, PUFF-PAC also promotes anti-immigrant politics, including support for the Trump administration’s effort to put questions about immigration status in the 2020 census and Trump’s recent order to end the practice of releasing undocumented immigrants prior to court hearings on their status. On April 5 PUFF-PAC declared that “If you demand the right to same sex marriage, to murder unborn babies, or illegal immigrants to remain yet also condemn someone else’s right to religious freedom, ability to speak freely, or right to defend themselves how they see fit, then you are a hypocrite.”

Johnson also promotes spurious and mean-spirited attacks on the survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting who helped organized the March 24 “March for Our Lives.” Johnson circulated a fake meme of Emma Gonzalez tearing up the constitution and captioned “America’s New Skinhead Movement.” Johnson also posted a meme depicting Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg in a German Nazi uniform.

NCCPA administrator David Clayton and moderator Quintin Lyman have posted the Three Percenter logo on their Facebook pages.

NCCPA Facebook Page Moderator and Threeper Fan Quintin Lyman

A poster promoting the NCCPA event includes the logo of the paramilitary group Oath Keepers. Oath Keepers leaders promote far right conspiracy theories and anti-Muslim bigotry.

NCCPA Event Poster Complete with Oath Keepers Logo

As of this writing, 271 people claim to be attending the event in Oregon, 145 in Washington State, 79 in Idaho, and 14 in Montana. In addition, other states with announced events, and the number claiming to attend (in parenthesis), include Florida (409), Maine (379), Indiana (273), Pennsylvania (212), New York (171), Arizona (155), Utah (138), Texas (130), Virginia (127), Delaware (127), California (127), South Carolina (125), Wisconsin (125), Georgia (130), Kansas (118), Tennessee (103), Michigan (100), North Dakota (95),  Nevada (92), Illinois (73), Vermont (73), Ohio (71),  Massachusetts (69), North Carolina (68), Kentucky (65), Oklahoma (64), Colorado (64), Arkansas (63), Connecticut (63), New Jersey (63), Alabama (63), Missouri (57), Iowa (55), Nebraska (48), New Hampshire (46), West Virginia (38), Louisiana (37),  Minnesota (37), Maryland (36),  Mississippi (31), Rhode Island (17), New Mexico (14), Hawaii (11) and Alaska (2).

Chuck Tanner

Author Chuck Tanner

Chuck Tanner is an Advisory Board member and researcher for the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. He lives in Washington State where he researches and works to counter white nationalism and the anti-Indian and other far right social movements.

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