About 150 people gathered on Courthouse Square Saturday afternoon as part of a nationwide network of “Day of Resistance” events to rally for gun rights.

They carried signs proclaiming “Come and take it,” “Just say no to gun control,” and “Guns save lives” at the event — organized by the Dayton Tea Party — to protest proposed gun regulations from President Barack Obama that infringe on second amendment rights and lead to a “slippery slope” that could end in gun bans, said party President Don Birdsall of Englewood.

“This gathering has to do with the second amendment,” he said. “But I think we all realize that’s the amendment that protects all the others.”

More than 100 events across the country were organized in the wake of the Newtown school shootings and President Barack Obama’s proposals to curb gun violence, said Birdsall.

The proposed regulations don’t violate the Constitution and will protect families, said Toby Hoover of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence.

“It’s common sense, it’s been supported by 90 percent of Americans,” she said. “I think they’re way off base here.”

In January, President Obama signed 23 executive actions he hoped would help end “the epidemic of gun violence in this country” and other gun legislation has been introduced around the country to ban possession of some assault weapons, limit magazine size and create a database to log gun and ammunition sales. In response, a bill in the Ohio Senate seeks to “nullify unconstitutional federal gun control laws.”

Speaker Seth Morgan, a former state representative, said the senate bill “attempts to pit powers of the state against powers of the federal government” and urged those in attendance to voice support for the bill.

“We’re here to support an idea, a right… given to us by God, secured for us by the Constitution,” Morgan said.

Americans who enjoy their freedoms should be concerned about the infringement on all rights, said Mark Perry of Riverside.

“The Bill of Rights is a package deal,” he said. “The second amendment is the lynch pin of the Bill of Rights, it holds it together.”

Benjamin and Christy Jones of Butler Twp. are Dayton Tea Party members who said they attended Saturday’s rally to show support for the second amendment.

“I don’t own a gun and I may never own a gun,” said Christy. ” But I believe in everyone’s right to own one if it’s their choice.”

“We believe in the Constitution,” said Benjamin. “We think it should be the law of the land as it was intended.”

Benjamin Jones said he expected to see more people in attendance but that large gun shows in the region this weekend and the cold weather may have curbed attendance.

The proposed gun legislation doesn’t infringe on second amendment rights, said Deborah Yancey of Dayton.

“We need to have a reasonable conversation,” she said. “This is not about banning guns. This is about protecting people.”

Yancey said she supported the crowd’s right to assemble and freedom of speech and was happy to see people exercise those freedoms.

But the issue extends beyond firearms, said Vietnam veteran Ed Ladd of Convington.

“It’s not only the guns, it’s your freedoms,” he said.

This story was written by Megan Gildow, Dayton Daily News