Police kept opposing protesters separated, putting up barriers between the groups.
Demonstrators arrived armed with handguns and rifles visible as worshippers assembled for Friday evening prayers. But the event was more of a protest than art contest, as people crowded in front of the mosque holding signs and yelling chants.
The event's organizer, Jon Ritzheimer, encouraged attendees on Facebook to bring American Flags and "utilize there [sic] second amendment right at this event just incase [sic] our first amendment comes under the much anticipated attack."
An hour into the event, the crowd began to thin on both sides.
"I'm a threat because I'm here with a gun?" Ritzheimer asked a reporter at the rally Friday. "They're the ones with the bad track record."
The rally comes just weeks after two gunmen from Phoenix, Arizona, opened fire at a similar event in Garland, Texas, organized by an anti-Islamic group.
Elton Simpson and Nadir Hamid Soofi opened fire and were killed outside the event May 3, an event that organizer Ritzheimer, said inspired him to hold Friday's contest.
Friday's rally, was held at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, which had been attended by the two shooters.
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1JdGqqR
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