InvestigateWest / April 9, 2021 A supporter of former President Donald Trump is seen armed with a shotgun and knife during political clashes on Dec. 12, 2020 in Olympia. Far-right and far-left groups squared off near the Washington State Capitol, and later in the day a far-right protester shot and injured a far-left protester on the Capitol Campus. (Matt M. McKnight) After a summer of armed, mostly white “patrols” at racial justice protests and the winter insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Washington state lawmakers are ready to ban guns at demonstrations and the statehouse. Over opposition from Republicans and gun-rights activists, both houses of the Legislature have passed a ban on weapons within 250 feet of protests or on the Capitol campus in Olympia. Backers say empowering police to remove or arrest armed onlookers addresses widespread complaints from demonstrators and reduces a bona fide safety risk.