A group of armed anti-lockdown protestors of the stay-at-home orders of North Carolina was caught walking in the streets of Raleigh as weapons hanged over their shoulders.
The armed men were also seen buying goods at a sandwich shop.
Travis Long, a photojournalist with the News and Observer, said that he shot the images inside a Subway on Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh.
One picture shows a protestor carrying an AT4 rocket launcher and 2 pistols in holsters on his waist.
Another image shows a protester holding a large weapon over his shoulder as he appears to take a selfie.
The images that Long shared on Twitter has accumulated over 6,500 times and has gone viral all over social media.
The protest was organized by Blue Igloo, a group, that wants the stay at home orders of the state to be lifted.
Talking about the incident, the group said:
The walk on Saturday wasn’t a protest, it was a gathering to support our God given freedoms as Americans. We headed out for a walk to get some fresh air, sunshine, and some much needed exercise. We are a peaceful group, and wish to keep it that way at all costs. We aren’t looking for a fight. We in fact, want the opposite. We want to put on a smile, shake some hands, and be friendly. An armed society is a polite society.
The demonstrations that happened on Saturday (May 9, 2020) happened on the first dull day of North Carolina’s phased in reopening during the coronavirus pandemic.