Photo: Erich Schlegel/Getty Images. Update: The Secret Service announced Monday that firearms won't be allowed at the Republican National Convention, The Washington Post reports. Whether or not the petition was in jest, it looks like there's no chance of it actually coming true.
This story was originally published on March 28.
A Change.org petition for attendees of the Republican National Convention to be allowed to open carry (the practice of openly carrying a firearm on one's person in public) at the Cleveland, Ohio, event has garnered more than 45,000 signatures.
Since the petition was first posted last week, many have speculated about whether or not it was intended to be taken seriously. But even if it's just a meticulous act of trolling, it's gained a lot of attention in the past few days.
GOP front-runner Donald Trump has even spoken out about the petition, saying in an appearance on ABC's This Week, "I have not seen the petition. I want to see what it says. I want to read the fine print."
The petition was started by the blog, Hyperationalist, who did not respond to Refinery29's request for comment, nor those of other outlets, so far. The petition's description states that the Quicken Loans Arena's ban on firearms "is a direct affront to the Second Amendment and puts all attendees at risk." (Ohio is an open-carry state.) CNET speculates that the petition is "surely fine satirical comedy," but there's no definitive answer one way or the other.
Still, the petition was filed by Americans for Responsible Open Carry, which doesn't appear to be a real organization. Its Facebook page is defunct, and the group doesn't seem to have an official website.
Many open-carry enthusiasts, though, are supporting the movement. The website Young Conservatives wrote in a post on Saturday, "If this petition trudges onward, you'd have to think higher-ups will start considering what it says." Some Twitter users have praised the Change.org petition, too, though others have mocked it. Real or fake, it's definitely a conversation-starter.
Why Not Allow Open Carry At The RNC In Cleveland?: The site of the RNC convention, the Quicken Loans Arena, in... https://t.co/zSPxMyrNqX
— TEA PARTY PATRIOTS™ (@TEAPARTY_USA) March 27, 2016
Stand with us to defend the #2A rights of RNC Convention goers in Cleveland. Sign and share the petition: https://t.co/btYWlxQpLw
— AROC (@GunFreeZoneFree) March 22, 2016
Would you like the Republicans to carry firearms at their convention? Sign here https://t.co/ylhCLrPQvnpic.twitter.com/j3lAPrWj40
— Rupert Myers (@RupertMyers) March 26, 2016
Help may this RNC the safest convention in history! https://t.co/1eq5uyYM2t via @Change
— Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) March 26, 2016
Please sign! If open carry is a good idea for our country it should be a good idea at the GOP convention right? https://t.co/yviEDFnUb6
— Brett Schulte (@brettschulte) March 27, 2016
@MarkEitzel Hypocrisy so delicious. I tweeted this idea a while ago; glad someone gave it some flesh.
— jen (@zooky) March 27, 2016
What an excellent idea: a petition to allow open carry of firearms at the Republican National Convention https://t.co/egerY7aU5s
— Bill Hammond (@NYHammond) March 26, 2016
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