Nathan W. and 40 other gun-rights demonstrators secured unloaded, semi-automatic guns to their hips and headed to Pacific Beach boardwalk to demonstrate their constitutional right to bear arms. They were an informal group of men and women who organized the demonstration, the third in San Diego, through Internet forums including Nathan W.’s Open Carry blog, caopencarry.blogspot.com, and Calguns.net. Nathan W., who said he did not want his full name printed to protect himself from police retaliation, said the group chose the area because his brother had previously been arrested for carrying an unloaded gun and then released. The sight of people strolling down the boardwalk with handguns hanging on their waists intimidated and shocked hundreds of beachgoers, who expressed their dismay to Police Capt. Shelley Zimmerman. “People were angry and upset,” Zimmerman said. “There was a lot of people asking [me] ‘What’s going on? There are kids around. This is a family environment. Why are you not arresting anyone?’” Zimmerman said approximately 300 people approached her personally to express concern. They pointed to city signs that prohibit dogs, alcohol and cigarettes on the beach and couldn’t understand why guns would be allowed, Zimmerman said. Some people made eye contact with the police captain and then pointed to the people carrying handguns. Zimmerman said police officers were present the entire day from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. while the armed demonstrators milled along the boardwalk, splitting into smaller groups to venture into restaurants and along the boardwalk. “The police department was there to basically provide public safety because we knew the community would probably be concerned,” Zimmerman said. “We wanted to have a police presence so people could come up to us and talk to us.” According to Nathan’s blog, their guns incited curiosity from many, with a few shows of support. One adolescent said he believed the world would be safer if no guns existed at all, which evoked a discussion. The demonstrators had notified the police in advance of their activities. Zimmerman said officers checked a few of the guns to ensure they were not loaded. No one was arrested. California Penal Code 12026 permits people to openly carry unloaded weapons, but permits are required to carry concealed guns. California law also permits people to carry ammunition beside their guns. Guns are not allowed on school property, within 1,000 feet of a school, or inside state and federal buildings and parks. Nathan W. said he carries a gun wherever he goes to deter criminals from threatening his life. He believes armed citizens promote a safer environment where a criminal might think twice about attacking someone or robbing a person’s home. “An armed society is a peaceful society, and that’s generally true,” Nathan W. said. “Crime happens and it’s always where people are disarmed. We’d rather not be victims.”