RALEIGH — On June 24, around 100 gun rights activists picketed outside of the Raleigh office of Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis over his involvement in the recently passed gun control bill, the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022.” 

The protest was organized by North Carolina’s largest gun rights advocacy group, Grassroots North Carolina (GRNC). Also represented at the protest was the national firearms group, Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the crowd gathered heard from Stephen Willeford, the hero who engaged and eventually stopped the Sutherland Springs Church shooter in 2017 in Texas….

“If you do not know, Senator Tillis closed his office today because he did not want to hear from us,” GOA Director for North Carolina and Vice President of Operations for GRNC Andy Stevens said at the onset of the protest. “He did not even want his staff to hear from us and he apparently told the courthouse people that because his office is closed, [that] we are not here on official business and therefore they will not let us in the building to see for certain whether his office is open or closed or even use the restrooms.” 

Stevens told North State Journal that Congress’ actions were “an extreme disappointment” as was the involvement in it by “traitor Thom Tillis.” 

“He has served his usefulness,” said Stevens. “He has turned tail; he has turned sides.” Stevens added that “he is not only a traitor, but he’s a coward” referring to the closure of his Raleigh office on the day of the protest.