Coronavirus: US judge orders guns to reopen

A US federal court on Thursday granted a victory to the arms lobby, by ordering the reopening of the Massachusetts gun factories which had been closed as part of the measures to combat the new coronavirus. Like some of his colleagues, the governor of this northeastern state, Charlie Baker, had included arms stores in the list of "non-essential businesses" called to keep closed during the pandemic.

But he had seen his decision challenged in court by owners, sellers and associations for the defense of the carrying of weapons in the name of the Second Amendment to the Constitution which, according to them, guarantees a right to bear arms. Federal judge Douglas Woodlock agreed with them and ordered that the armories reopen on Saturday, following strict precautionary measures (compliance with protective distances, wearing masks ...), according to a copy of the judgment consulted by AFP.

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At the beginning of the crisis, the Americans, a third of whose adults already possess at least one firearm, rushed to armories to complete their arsenal. The proliferation of containment measures has, however, sparked a debate on whether to keep them open. If Texas, Ohio or Michigan have deemed these stores "essential" , the states of New York or New Jersey, epicenter of the American epidemic, have taken a different position.

The gun lobby has filed several lawsuits where they have been closed. The Massachusetts court is the first to order a reopening. A Los Angeles judge, on the contrary, dismissed a lawsuit against cities in California. Elsewhere, decisions remain pending.

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