The group held rallies in Frisco, at Salon A La Mode in Dallas, Ice House in Oyster Creek, Anytime Fitness and Big Daddy Zane's Bar in West Texas.
They were met with a military tank.
One American veteran commented on Twitter, “When I was in Iraq, we were lucky to have 1 MRAP with us while on patrol. Most of us in regular Humvee's. Why on God's green earth does a sheriff department have an MRAP??? Did I miss the part where the sheriff dept. was plagued by IED's on American streets?”
Ector County Sheriff’s Office charged Gabrielle Ellison, the bar owner, with Violations of Emergency Management Plan. She was released on bond.
Of the protesters, Ellison said, “They were practicing their second amendment right to protect my first amendment right. They have no business being in this jail, they had no right arresting me.”
In response, Sheriff Griffis told NewsWest 9, “Why draw attention to yourselves? I mean she could have opened up and we might not have known about it until the next day but when you cause this kind of commotion we’re going to take action.”
According to Ellison, the group was not on a licensed premise – despite the charges six protesters are facing, NewsWest9 reports.
“It was intimidation, it was excess power, and you taxpayers should be mad about this,” Ellison said.
In response, Griffis defended coming in with a military tank, saying, “We do it all the time, that was loaned to us by the federal government and we use it each time.”