Mulford Act (1967)

Fri Jul 28, 1967

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Image: A Black Panther Party member holds a rifle outside the California State Capitol on May 2nd, 1967, during a protest against a bill that banned carrying loaded guns in public. From the Bettman Archive [buzzfeed.org]

On this day in 1967, the Mulford Act became law in California with bipartisan support, banning the public carrying of firearms after the Black Panthers began conducting armed patrols of Oakland communities to defend them from police.

Prior to this law, it was legal in the state of California to bear arms in public. The Panthers used this to their advantage when “copwatching” in their communities - armed Panthers would patrol the neighborhood and swarm on scene to arrests shortly after they began, informing the arrestee of their constitutional rights.

The Mulford Act, dubbed the “Panther Bill” by the media, enjoyed bipartisan support from both Republicans and Democrats. Before the law was passed, armed Panthers occupied the California capitol building to protest it on May 2nd (shown). The group was arrested on felony charges of conspiracy to disrupt a legislative session, but were able to plea down to various misdemeanors.

The Act was signed into law by then governor Ronald Reagan, and is still in effect today as California penal code 25850.

“The Mulford Act [will] work no hardship on the honest citizen.”

- Ronald Reagan