Frank Riggs AZ Candidate For Governor Has No Idea Why Militia Was Hanging Out With Him At Protest

ORACLE, Ariz. (AP) -- On July 15th Frank Riggs joined  Protesters carrying "Return to Sender" and "Go home non-Yankees" signs, Frank Riggs Republican candidate for Arizona governor told TPM that he has no idea why armed militiamen were tagging along with him on Tuesday at an immigration protest in Oracle, Arizona at the rally in opposition to the arrival of refugee children. Cross Post

A group of armed militiamen were providing security for Riggs, KTVK reported.

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Armed group calling itself the AZ State Militia in Oracle providing security for AZ guv candidate Frank Riggs

1:24 PM - 15 Jul 2014

The gubernatorial candidate and former Congressman told TPM  that he totally had no idea who the armed men were. One would think he might ask them, but whatevs.

Frank Riggs acknowledged the men were by his side during the rally and were guarding him but he did not ask for their assistance.

“There were individuals there who were dressed, outfitted as militia types,” Riggs toldTalking Points Memo. “To be honest with you they followed me around, I guess thinking that they might provide some kind of security to me.”

At the hate-fest, anti-immigration protesters shoved a group of mariachi musicians andblocked a bus full of f YMCA children that they had mistaken for migrant children.

According to Riggs, the rally was a “mostly polite and respectful exchange of views” between both immigration activists and protesters.

“I neither requested them in any way, shape or form, I didn’t arrange for them to be there nor did I ask for their help or services,” Riggs said in the interview.

Riggs also said he didn’t take issue with the militia group’s presence at the protest. He defended their presence saying that the armed men had “as much of a right to be there as anybody else” and said he respected their right to carry concealed firearms under Arizona law.

“From what I observed they conducted themselves in a very appropriate manner,” he said. “They were very discreet.”

Screen grab: TPM