'Black people are locked out from employment': Black rights groups in Austin march for 2A and against illegal immigration

Several black rights groups in Texas recently took to the state capital of Austin to protest against illegal immigration and in favor of their Second Amendment rights and black reparations.

On Saturday, the groups, led by the Elmer Geronimo Pratt Pistol and Rifle Gun Club, held the third annual "Second Amendment Unity Walk," chanting various slogans, including:

• "What do we want?" "Closed borders!" "When do we want them?" "Now!"
• "Guns up!" "Shoot back!"
• "Black power!"
• "We all we got!" "We all we need!"

At least one group leader stated very candidly that the marchers do not necessarily align with those on the political right.

"Republicans, do not dare to make the mistake of thinking you will get our vote just because we believe in exercising our Second Amendment," the unnamed woman said into a microphone.

"Yes, I'm talking to you, [Senator] Ted Cruz and Governor [Greg] Abbott," she continued. "Don't think we are standing with you because we are against illegal immigration."

Various speakers also called out Vice President Kamala Harris for failing to protect black Americans by failing to secure the border. The founder of the EGP gun club, Nick Bezzel, elaborated on the reasons why his fellow marchers believe illegal immigration is particularly harmful to the black community.

"We don't have a problem with immigration itself," Bezzel said, "but we do have a problem with illegal immigration because, a lot of times, jobs are taken away from black people.

"Black people are locked out from employment due to illegal immigration," he added.

Bezzel also argued that reparations are a matter of justice.

"What we don't want to hear is 'America doesn't have the money,'" he said, especially as the federal government continues to send money overseas to foreign allies such as Ukraine.

Now that the march is over, the gun club and other groups say they plan to continue lobbying politicians in Austin until they address what marchers called the "black agenda."

And the gun club views the so-called "black agenda" as multifaceted. In addition to advocating for "responsible gun ownership, gun safety, and protecting our Black communities," the EGP also works to end no-knock raids and collects food, clothing, and hygiene products for the homeless and those in single-parent homes. Whether the club distributes these items exclusively to black recipients is unclear.