‘Armed with Love’ holds march for the 5 killed in Club Q shooting

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- On Saturday, Armed with Love hosted a rally and peaceful protest in solidarity for those affected by the Club Q mass shooting. Around 100 people gathered for the event, with people of all ages attending.

Many could be heard chanting, " L-G-B-T we demand equality."

One person who attended the rally, Mellissa DeHerrera, said she got married at Club Q. Herrera says she knew one of the five killed, 38-year-old Derrick Rump.

"Derek was a part of my wedding. Club Q is my family. It's my home, and it was my safe place, you know? So you got to come out here, and you got to show solidarity and unity," DeHerrera added.

Some people brought PRIDE flags and made signs in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Parasol Patrol was also at the event. It's an organization that was formed out of a need to protect children's eyes and ears from the hateful speech of protesters. They provide hearing protection and use their umbrellas to peacefully walk in between protesters and kids.

"We weren't necessarily anticipating any protesters today. And sure enough, there was one fellow with them with some really hateful things to say. And so we were here, and we never engage with protesters. We don't yell back and forth, especially if the point is to reduce the chaos in an event," Co-founder of the Parasol Patrol, Pasha Ripley said.

Armed with Love told KRDO that it plans to have a rally/peaceful protest every Saturday at noon starting at Palmer Lake.