An advocate of the open carrying of firearms is protesting the fact that a Republican state convention guard forced him to unload his holster before entering the meeting.
Phillip Hofmeister is president of Michigan Open Carry and was an alternate delegate to the convention from Ingham County at last weekend's convention at the Lansing Center.
He says he stepped out of the meeting to see a friend who was taking a smoke break. Hofmeister says a guard stopped him from re-entering the convention while armed.
Hofmeister says he was acting lawfully and the Republican party chose not to let him in.
Republican spokesman Matt Frendewey says the party has to respect rules of the venue. He says the GOP supports the Second Amendment's protections of gun possession.