Antigovernment Militias Seek Support From County Governments
“Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), a statewide organization opposed to gun reform, is a central organizing force for the county militias. VCDL organized the Second Amendment protests in Richmond in January 2020, at which it claimed militias provided security. It also was a collaborator of the Second Amendment sanctuary movement in Virginia, which directly preceded and influenced the county militia movement. Scott Booher, an organizer of the Botetourt militia muster, said that VCDL’s Second Amendment protest helped motivate him in his militia work. Mother Jones reported a similar effect on Wes Gardner and Daniel Abbott, who helped found the Bedford and Campbell militias after they attended the protests. And the Political Research Associates magazine The Public Eye ran a story [politicalresearch.org] called “County Capture,” which also discusses VCDL’s involvement.”