LANSING/MARQUETTE, MI (AP)-- Hundreds of people gathered outside the Michigan Capitol for a gun-rights rally Saturday, a few days after President Barack Obama called for new restrictions.
MLive.com says some people freely carried guns at the event. There were signs that said gun bans are ineffective and illegal and only punish law-abiding citizens.
At the same time, members of a U.P. church held a protest against gun violence. The Marquette Unitarian Universalist Congregation sponsored a demonstration Saturday, with participants carrying signs that said "stop the violence" and "put down the guns". The protesters say they'd like to see more control over gun ownership requiring stricter background checks.
Obama is asking congress to pass an assault-weapons ban, universal background checks and limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines.
Some Republican state lawmakers want to pass a bill that would exempt guns made in Michigan. Legislators and county sheriffs in other states have vowed to nullify any executive orders Obama issues on guns.
