On this day, 2 May 1967, a group of Black Panthers armed with rifles and shotguns marched into the California State Capitol protesting against a gun control bill which was targeting them.
To fight police violence and harassment against African-Americans, the Panthers used radios to listen to police calls, then members would attend scenes of arrest with law books and openly carrying shotguns – which was legal – and advise arrestees of their constitutional rights. To stop this self defence against the police, authorities brought in the Mulford Bill – dubbed the “Panther Bill” by the media – to ban the open carrying of loaded firearms in public.
The National Rifle Association supported Republican governor Ronald Reagan in signing the legislation.
To learn more about the Panthers, check out these books written by former members: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/black-panthershttps://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1415796105272202/?type=3
