The Brady Campaign – the also-ran of gun control groups of late – tried to revitalize their name, reputation and fundraising ability with a nationally-publicized rally Saturday right here in Illinois. It was billed as a rally against America’s gun stores, and they singled out Chuck’s, a gun store and indoor range located just outside of Chicago in Riverdale, IL.
It didn’t go so well for them.
First off, their permit to hold an event was denied by Riverdale. Oops. Seems that city’s leaders wanted the Brady Campaign in front of a successful, taxpaying business as much as they wanted the Klan or Westboro Baptist Church to visit. Why was that significant? It meant the Brady clowns were forced to keep their rally on the sidewalk and to keep moving in front of the business without an electronic PA. Even worse, their rallying point has isolated itself almost a block from the store, not near the front of the establishment.
Sticking to the sidewalk wasn’t really much of an issue as the Brady’s turned out about fifty, or about one bus load of folks from inside Chicago. It was actually a pretty paltry turn-out for the Brady’s.
Those present each got a free t-shirt, donuts and there was some talk overheard of financial compensation on the way home (“When do we get paid again?” one woman was heard asking her friend as they went went through the motions walking in front of Chuck’s).
We told you it was Astroturf for the most part.
astroturf (Urban Dictionary) -Creating the impression of public support by paying people in the public to pretend to be supportive.
Worse than the event organizer’s problems with the police in Riverdale were the one hundred plus gun owners who turned out to counter-demonstrate. Both Guns Save Life and the Illinois State Rifle Association put the word out to members to show up. Scores did, taking time away from loved ones and other activities to drive their own cars, trucks and motorcycles to spend the morning promoting freedom, liberty and our civil rights.
It was looking like the pro-gun folks were going to badly outnumber the Brady astroturf folks until Chicago’s activist priest Father Pfleger showed up with another fifty or so in a bus from his St. Sabina’s parish.
Oh yes, and the media was there, eating up the Brady drivel like the lap-dogs they are. They had no problems getting in close, given the weak attendance of the red-shirted rent-a-mob.
Meanwhile, over in front of Chuck’s Guns, controlling the real estate that matters, were the pro-gun folks.
We made sure the Brady folks knew Illinois gun owners weren’t going to sit idly by as out-of-towners come in and gin up momentum to attack America’s gun stores and take away our gun rights.
Yes, Brady gun-control fanatics came from across the nation – from Washington State to Washington, D.C. to try to make hay in Chicago.
The Brady campaign’s leader Dan Gross came all the way from Washington D.C. to lead the event.
Remember how we said the PA system was off-limits, per the police?
They tried to overcome that challenge by using a bullhorn for their rally speakers. They pointed it straight up while trying to talk into the microphone.
It was a sad spectacle.
And Dan Gross? He should have brought a step stool. See below.
How did it go?
The event went well for civil rights advocates. We took away a public relations freebie from the Brady Campaign. With the Brady’s PA system side-lined, their “talkers” were quite vulnerable to heckling from the pro-gun side.
One remark, shouted from yours truly on the pro-gun side, left a very pregnant pause from the Brady troupe.
“ARMED BLACKS DON’T GET OPPRESSED!”
You could have heard a pin drop for a moment – on both sides. (Thank you to The Truth About Guns commenter who suggested a similar slogan.) It was as if the pro-gun people were thinking, “I can’t believe you just said that!” and the Brady Campaign event coordinators were speechless – while their overwhelmingly black protesters seemed a little uncomfortable.
There was also some discomfort when it was pointed out how out-of-towners were coming to Chicagoland to take away people’s rights – with an SUV with Washington State license plates offered up as exhibit #1.
When someone on the Brady camp asked a rhetorical question, “Why are we here?”, the pro-gun side began chanting “Why are you here?” repeatedly, drowning out the Brady’s speaker.
Several of the gun folks heckled the Brady bunch relentlessly, including two African-American women, interrupting each and every speaker the Brady clan put on. One in particular was telling the event’s out-of-town organizers to “go home!”.
The rental group paraded in a giant circle in front of Chuck’s, chanting half-heartedly, while some of their members utilized improvised “drums” to keep the beat.
It was after the event was officially over that some of the discourse became rather extra-heated.
Here’s what passes for civilized discourse from the Brady camp and Pfleger’s mafia:
Here’s some more of the paid cast of characters at the event:
Who is this guy?
This guy was present.
He looked very out of place.
He was close to Pfleger. But he didn’t seem like a bodyguard. Was he a speaker? An interested party? A Bloomberg-shill?
He drove away in this car.
Educational tidbit.
If you have an Illinois Concealed Carry License, you probably already know that carry is prohibited at events that have a demonstration permit issued.
Did you know that if you’re counter-demonstrating against a permitted event, you can carry to your heart’s content?
Yep.
Get a LEO to run the plate on that car to see who it belongs to.
Looks like some mafia/union wiseguy. Maybe his crew tried to shakedown the gun store for protection money and when they wouldn’t pay, the mob organized this protest rally.
Some sort of LEO Fed
Recon mission…..?
Too well dressed for a LEO/Fed. That suit is too nicely tailored.
Notice how he is scanning the NRA Crowd for faces…….!
That car is sitting kinda funny, armored maybe?
We cannot run a plate thru LEADS if someone asks us to and without a law enforcement purpose. That would violate IWIN/LEADS policy.
I went. Got there shortly before 10. Should’ve gotten out of bed an hour earlier.
It was fun.
It.
Was.
Fun.
Where were the rest of you?
Sam
I was at work at the North Chicago VA, providing steam and electricity to our nation’s veterans and future sailors.
I was there (but a half hour late). I was very unimpressed by the Brady bunch and the father with at least 6 big guys surrounding him, at least some armed (OK for his guys, just not the rest of us).
At the next one, someone should bring a sign with a red arrow to line up that says “This guy is armed. Why aren’t you?” and follow the bodyguards around.
I like that idea. Beautiful.
Looks like a good time! I’m sure the impact of the Brady’s rippled across the nation! *yawn*
That guy was maybe a lost DOJ EEOC race investigator on his way to Ferguson.
Awesome! I planned to be there, but husband picked up a Saturday shift last minute. (Wasn’t dragging a 2 and 7 year old out there). Love the pictures, nice out of state paid players coming here to start problems….
probably wasn’t necessary for this article to poke fun at Dan Gross for being short.
I’m 5’4″ without shoes, I didn’t appreciate the “short” jokes.
I’m also a veteran, Illinois CCW holder, and NRA member.
My friend, those attributes make you pretty tall in my book.
I concur that you are a tall man in my book.
Will make an edit.
John
proof that veteran, NRA members can have “Short Man Syndrome” and still be a patriot. Thank you for your service
So let me see if I get this right.
To be able to purchase a gun from this store you have to go through TWO background checks. You first have to obtain a FOID before you can even enter the shop and look at anything. Then for the purchase you have to go through another background check. I would say that the background check system would be the guilty one here, because even you got two shots at it you failed. Conclusion – background check worthless.
Was nice to see some familiar faces but would liked to have seen more GSL members there. Thank you to those that made the trip. Our signs were a big hit and also handed out some copies of GunNews. Best part of the rally for me was the side conversations between people and especially some of the comments the local police officers made. All very positive toward us and our organization. ISRA and GSL stayed classy and kept it civil. Same cannot be said for the other side.
I had a great time at the event…I am the guy in the yellow hat and green shirt w/ the ISRA Life Member Patch standing behind (one of our biggest supporters) Snuffy Pfleger heard me loud and clear!
Personally, I thought they comments critical Dan Gross were spot on. Not only is he literally short, but he’s truly a “short man” for trying to take away our gun rights.
Sam
Pfleger wants so bad to be black.
I love the photo of the guy with the mailbox letters stuck on his shirt banging on the orange bucket. Brady wasted $$$ on a bus, paying people and t shirts and NOTHING will come of it, HA HA !!!!. Some sap spent a lot of money on gas driving from WA for this flop, HA HA !!!!
Go to the picture showing Fr. Fraud and the suit guy in profile ( picture has orange snow fence in it ) I see a resemblance, a family member ? or some goof the ” reverend” had show up to make it look like he has connections ?.
Excellent reporting, John. I was sorry to have missed it but we had a MAG20 Range class already scheduled.
Question: What is the basis for your educational tidbit?
Most of the guys on our side assumed ahead of the event that a permit was issued for the Brady group and left their heaters in the car.
Cops there said even if a permit was issued, counter-protesters aren’t a part of it and can carry to their heart’s content.
JOhn
Hmmm… The day I take a cop’s word for the law is the day I end up in jail. Sorry, heard way too many incorrect understandings of the law from cops to take this one for granted.
The guy in the suit is “2015 Chicago Mayoral Candidate, John Abbamonte (312) 296-2282 or cell: **4CHICAGO, or Mayor4Chicago.com, or info@mayor4chicago.com. All of this information is off a business card he handed me when I asked him who he was and why he was there.
Thank you!
Sounds like a circus freak show up there. Thanks to you guys and gals who made the trip. Some of us were unavailable for health reasons.
We have a right choosing to own a gun or not owning a gun. I am tired of creeping government intrusion into my life or lifestyle. We have reached a high point of government intrusion under Obama/Holder. I have had enough of this liberal/progressive/socialism. People whose businesses in Ferguson MI were not raided by looters because they were defended by armed citizens. Unprotected businesses were destroyed.