Hundreds Rally for Gun Rights in Hauppauge

More than 200 local gun rights advocates took to the street Saturday at the H Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to rally against New York State’s latest gun regulations.

The protest was led by several local coalitions, including the Conservative, Society for Action, Turn Albany Upside Down, New York State Oath Keepers and the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association. The groups gathered together as part of multiple protests taking place on Long Island after Gobv. Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act in January, after the tragedy in Newtown, Conn.

According to a report in Newsday, the protestors’ main complaint was that the SAFE Act infringes Second Amendment rights and is not effective in saving lives.

"There’s no reason to have the SAFE Act in NYS because it serves zero purpose. Zero purpose because they tell you that it’s designed to save lives, but the portions of this bill that are supposed to do that, are not effective. Criminals simply are not going to sit there and say, ‘I’m not going to kill today because the governor passed the SAFE Act. Criminals don’t use legal guns. This bill does one thing: It penalizes law-abiding citizens, it infringes upon their right to own and bear arms," Steve Flanagan of the Conservative Society for Action, said in a video of the rally that was posted to YouTube.

Those who lined the streets called for the repeal of the law, which narrows down what is considered to be an assault weapon and establishes a state gun registry for private sales.

Gun rights advocates will be discussing gun safety and gun ownership rights with elected officials during the SAFE Firearm Civil Rights conference, happening in September in Smithtown.