Some college students in Connecticut want the right to carry a gun on campus. And to protest campus rules that prevent them from doing that, they intend to wear empty holsters this week.
The weeklong “empty holster protest” kicks off on the 10th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Protests are planned at University of Connecticut and Central Connecticut State University.
“This is brought about by the shootings at NIU and Virginia Tech and other gun-free zones across the country that have become targets for mass murderers and mass shootings,” said UConn sophomore Phil Axelrod, one of the organizers.
Even though the state says eligible people 21 years or older can legally carry handguns, UConn and CCSU’s code of conduct clearly says no guns are allowed on campus.
Not all the students are on board.
UConn freshman Shahia Jain said she’s not a fan.
“You never know. What (if) it can accidentally go off or if the person is inebriated? People have irrational judgments when they’re in that state of mind,“ Jain said.
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Dozens of schools across the country are taking part in this protest. They say they want to gain awareness for a grassroots organization called Students for Concealed Carry On Campus, which advocates for self-defense.
