Even with the pandemic, mass outdoor gatherings in support of various causes have become a common occurrence across Western North Carolina. Dangerous weapons are prohibited at ‘demonstrations.’ But the definition of a ‘demonstration’ is open to interpretation, even among law enforcement. At the end of August, the Armed Patriots, a group based in Bryson City gathered on Main Street in Sylva. “It wasn’t really an event. We just went out and expressed our Second Amendment rights.” That’s Mark Day.