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State Rep. Anthony escorted into Capitol by armed group

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In the wake of protests arguing Governor Whitmer's stay at home order, state lawmakers say things have been tense.

"I have colleagues from across the state that are refusing to come into work because they felt so intimidated," said State Representative Sarah Anthony.

Anthony says she felt the same way, saying the protesters with guns inside the Capitol building last week were doing more than demonstrating.

"They were there to threaten us. Not to prove a point or make a statement."

Another group of Lansing gun owners reached out offering to help.

"We elected her to go in there and speak for us, so we can't have her feeling intimidated, and we decided we were going to make her feel comfortable," said Mike Lynn, Jr.

Lynn, part of a group called 'Black and Brown 2nd Amendment Advocates,' told FOX 47 he was upset at the way protesters used their first and second amendment rights during the protests.

"I felt like we regressed back to a time when that was okay," said Lynn, "And it's not."

Lynn says his group wants to change the narrative that people of color shouldn't be carrying guns.

"We can carry just like everybody else can carry. We can protect our families and our communities just like everybody else can."

"We can do it just as well as anybody else," said De'Angelo Williams, another armed escort. "We can legally own and carry without anything happening to us."

Representative Anthony, who says she supports the second amendment, says she didn't ask for the escort, but said it helped her feel more at ease.

"Personally, guns make me feel a little uncomfortable...But I'm not going to lie, I did feel safer with them escorting me across the grounds," she said.

Anthony says that legislators are working on a bill that if passed would ban guns from inside the state capitol.

But until then, Lynn and other gun owners can continue to bear arms.

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