LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB)’s Office of Infrastructure Protection, the agency responsible for securing the state’s critical assets and mitigating security risks, issued a “security notification” on Monday, cautioning about a constitutional right that will be exercised this week. The notice addresses a Second Amendment March scheduled for Thursday, September 19th, on the east side of the Capitol Building.

The email read ‘round the Capitol.

The leaked email was sent out by DTMB and alerted state employees that there will be “individuals carrying a variety of firearms in and around the Capitol Complex and downtown Lansing” during the march from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

MORE NEWS: Otsego County Man Faces Poaching Charges

Michigan News Source reached out to the DTMB to ask why they found it necessary to email their employees to warn them about the march – and we asked them if there have been previous issues with the event or concerns about the upcoming march.

Laura Wotruba, Director of Communications for the DTMB responded by saying, “The message you’re referring to is shared with state employees and staff as a routine courtesy notification. Its sole purpose is to let state staff members working in downtown Lansing know they may see a number of individuals openly carrying firearms in and around the Capitol Complex the day of the event.”

However, the email clearly says it is a “security” notification in a big blue box with white letters at the top of the email.

It’s a rally, not the OK Corral.

Organizers of the march, which has been a staple since 2009, advertise the event as featuring speakers, vendors, and a firearms silent auction. The march’s purpose? To raise awareness about the increasing threats to Second Amendment rights in what’s being billed as a crucial election year.

The statement on their website says, “This is an important election year and our 2nd Amendment rights are in grave danger. Michigan has already passed new laws that are more restrictive of our right to keep and bear arms.”

Second amendment defenders gearing up to rally the crowd.

Emceeing the event will be Joel Fulton, owner of Freedom Firearms in Battle Creek and outspoken advocate for Second Amendment rights. Scheduled speakers at the event will include Representatives Angela Rigas, Phil Green, Mike Hoadley, Cam Cavitt,& Jay DeBoyer, Michigan Gun Owners Attorney Jim Makowski, Michigan Open Carry Attorney Tom Lambert, Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf and Michigan Senator Michele Hoitenga.

MORE NEWS: Detroit Schools to Spend $700M Fixing School Buildings

When asked about her presence at the event, State Rep. Angela Rigas said, “Michiganders have a constitutional right to exercise their Second Amendment rights on public property, and I am honored to be able to march alongside them. The Second Amendment march is a yearly tradition where legal gun owners make their voices heard in Lansing, which is more important than ever considering the barrage of unconstitutional gun control laws coming out of our Democrat-controlled legislature.”

Skip Coryell, the founder of the Second Amendment march told Michigan News Source, “We founded the march back in 2009 and have been holding our event almost every year since then at the Lansing State Capitol with many positive comments and experiences from our attendees. We see no reason why this year will be any different. I don’t understand why the state would put out a security bulletin like this, because we have a long history of safety and positive outcome at our event. We should have a good crowd this year, and we’re looking forward to another great event on September 19th.”

The one year they didn’t have a march was 2023, when the event was canceled after Democratic legislators imposed a gun ban at the Capitol, and the Capitol Commission erected excessive barriers that made holding the event on the property very difficult, according to Michigan Advance.

A decade of peaceful gatherings.

The Second Amendment March has been a regular event at the Michigan Capitol since 2009, with a history of peaceful gatherings and no reported safety incidents. With over a decade of successful and orderly events, organizers and attendees maintain that the march is about exercising constitutional rights in a safe and controlled environment.

The march, centered on advocating for their cause and raising awareness for their mission, mirrors the actions of other advocacy groups that often rally at the Capitol. With a history of peaceful demonstrations, questions have arisen about the necessity of the heightened security measures, with some arguing that the state’s response to the gathering appears overly cautious, if not outright excessive.