This story was updated at 1 p.m., Friday April 20, 2021
Hundreds were expected to attend a “Back the Blue” rally at the Ohio Statehouse Saturday morning, sponsored by a controversial gun rights group.
Ohio Gun Owners Executive Director Chris Dorr had planned a special honor to be given to Columbus Police Officer Nicholas Reardon who shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant last week. Bodycam footage appeared to show her lunging at another female with a knife just before Reardon fired the shots. Dorr said the event will support police officers statewide.
“We want to let them know that the good, law-abiding people in the state of Ohio have their backs and fully support them," Dorr said.
US Senate candidate Josh Mandel was supposed to be there along with US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a controversial pro-Trump Congressmember from Georgia who has publicly touted conspiracy theories.
In a social media post, Dorr said the event, which allowed participants to openly carry weapons, has been cancelled because the management at the Ohio Statehouse would not prevent counter-protestors from being there at the same time.
