Gun rights supporters march outside of the National Rifle Association's headquarters in Fairfax, ... [+] Virginia in July 2017. Photo by Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTopline: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency[1] ahead of a planned Monday rally over proposed gun control legislation that could draw thousands of gun rights supporters, along with militias and hate groups incensed by the proposed legislation. Monday⁠—which happens to be Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and a federal holiday⁠—is known as Lobby Day in Virginia, in which pro- and anti-gun groups visit the state capital to press lawmakers for legislation.  This year’s Lobby Day has taken a tense turn with the introduction of eight new gun control bills from the state legislature, which is now controlled by Democrats for the first time in a quarter-century. One of the gun rights groups, Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), has reportedly participated in Lobby Day for years, but according to state intelligence analysts[2], could be joined by militias and hate groups planning disruptions. The New York Times[3] reported Thursday that three suspected members of a neo-Nazi hate group were arrested by the FBI, and that the men were in possession of weapons and had discussed traveling to Monday’s rally. According to Media Matters[4], chatter on online forums like 4chan has been found discussing possible violence on Monday that echoes similar posts that preceded the deadly 2017 Charlottesville Unite The Right rally.  Northam declared the state of emergency Wednesday, and in an effort to prevent violence on Monday, enacted a temporary ban on weapons on the grounds of the State Capitol that lasts until Tuesday.Crucial quote: “Three years ago, Virginia and the nation watched horrified as civil protest was marred by violence and hate,” said Northam[5] in a Wednesday news conference. “We must take all precautions to prevent that

Read more from our friends at the NRA