Area gun owners join thousands in Albany

ALBANY—The Yates County chapter of the Shooters Committee on Political Education (S.C.O.P.E.) attended a rally of more than 10,000 people across the state to protest the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearm Enforcement (SAFE) Act, Thursday, Feb. 28. The protesters gathered in the well of the state senate in Albany as well as outside of the Capitol building. Yates S.C.O.P.E. Chairman John Prendergast said the chapter arranged for two buses to transport 106 people to Albany for the event.
“What we are opposed to, and the purpose of the rally in Albany, is that the U.S. Constitution as well as our New York State Constitution is being trampled on in the name of safety,” Prendergast said. “No politician has the authority or legal right to enact a law outlawing our Constitutional God given rights.”
Prendergast said he personally arrived in Albany at 9 a.m. when the program started, saying as many attendees as possible began entering the legislative building to speak with legislators about their concerns with the SAFE Act. He said the legislators saw as many people as they were able to for one day until the offices closed. Prendergast said the protest ran until 3:30 p.m. and went without incident.
“The rally in Albany was well organized and orderly,” Prendergast said. “There was very little police presence, the participants were courteous, pleasant and mindful of everyone’s safety and well being.”
Prendergast said the plaza at the Capitol was packed full of people for a Pro-Second Amendment rally where speakers talked about the SAFE Act and “the draconian way that it was pushed through the New York State Legislature,” as well as voicing their disgust with the governor and legislators who the group believes violated people’s Second Amendment rights.
Prendergast said he met with Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, who voted against the SAFE Act, spending the next few hours moving around the legislative building talking with legislators on why the SAFE Act needs to be repealed.
“This event will have an impact on the ultimate fate of the SAFE Act 2013,” Prendergast said. “The governor knew we were there and he should know that more rallies are being planned as a follow up to the Albany event.”