Austinites turn out in droves for anti-gun 'mass farting' protest 
 
 Counterprotest organizer Tim Sookram, right, holding a flatulent noise maker, marches against the mock mass shooting at the University of Texas at Austin Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Counterprotest organizer Tim Sookram, right, holding a flatulent noise maker, marches against the mock mass shooting at the University of Texas at Austin Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Photo: Stephen Spillman 
 
 Counterprotester Graham Houpt, right, against the mock mass shooting, stands with others at the staged shooting on the University of Texas at Austin campus Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Counterprotester Graham Houpt, right, against the mock mass shooting, stands with others at the staged shooting on the University of Texas at Austin campus Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Photo: Stephen Spillman 
 
 Murdoch Pizgatti marches to support ending gun-free zones on college campuses near the University of Texas at Austin Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Murdoch Pizgatti marches to support ending gun-free zones on college campuses near the University of Texas at Austin Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Photo: Stephen Spillman 
 
 Members of the media document as counterprotesters march behind those who support ending gun-free zones on college campuses near the University of Texas at Austin Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Members of the media document as counterprotesters march behind those who support ending gun-free zones on college campuses near the University of Texas at Austin Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Photo: Stephen Spillman 
 
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 Counterprotesters hold signs, sex toys and flatulent noise makers. Counterprotesters hold signs, sex toys and flatulent noise makers. Photo: Stephen Spillman 
 
 Murdoch Pizgatti, center, marches to support ending gun-free zones on college campuses. Murdoch Pizgatti, center, marches to support ending gun-free zones on college campuses. Photo: Stephen Spillman 
 
 The media surround a group of about 15 people who support ending gun-free zones on college campuses. The media surround a group of about 15 people who support ending gun-free zones on college campuses. Photo: Stephen Spillman 
 
 Counterprotesters Graham Houpt, right, and Baylor Morris yell toward supporters of ending gun-free zones on college campuses. Counterprotesters Graham Houpt, right, and Baylor Morris yell toward supporters of ending gun-free zones on college campuses. Photo: Stephen Spillman 
 
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 Counterprotesters Brendan Gaughen, left, and Natalie Zelt, holding a flatulent noise maker, march against the mock mass shooting. Counterprotesters Brendan Gaughen, left, and Natalie Zelt, holding a flatulent noise maker, march against the mock mass shooting. Photo: Stephen Spillman 
 
 Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
 Pro-gun activists from Come and Take It Texas and DontComply.com staged a mock mass shooting near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. The groups said they wanted to demonstrate the dangers of gun-free zones. less Pro-gun activists from Come and Take It Texas and DontComply.com staged a mock mass shooting near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. The groups said they wanted to demonstrate the ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
 Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
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 Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
 Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
 Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
 Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
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 Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
 Clergy and volunteers clean up chalk outlines and fake blood left over from a mock mass shooting held near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Clergy and volunteers clean up chalk outlines and fake blood left over from a mock mass shooting held near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
 A man who only identified himself as "J.J." stands by his bike rigged with a massive machine playing fart sounds, after a group of 100 or so protesters held a "mass farting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less A man who only identified himself as "J.J." stands by his bike rigged with a massive machine playing fart sounds, after a group of 100 or so protesters held a "mass farting" near the University of Texas at ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
 Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on ... more Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
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 Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. less Protesters wielding dildos and machines playing fart machines came out in droves to challenge against a group of pro-gun activists staging a "mock mass shooting" near the University of Texas at Austin on ... more 
 
 Volunteers clean up chalk outlines and fake blood left over from a mock mass shooting held near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Volunteers clean up chalk outlines and fake blood left over from a mock mass shooting held near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Photo: Lauren McGaughy, The Houston Chronicle 
 
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 Photo: Stephen Spillman Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close Austinites turn out in droves for anti-gun 'mass farting' protest 1 / 28 Back to Gallery 
 
 AUSTIN - Pro-gun demonstrators staging a mock mass shooting near the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday were overwhelmed in number and ferocity by a large group of counter-protesters wielding dildos and machines that generated fart sounds. 
 
 "This isn't about guns necessarily. This is about scaring our community. This is about a choice between fear and a little bit of good humor," Andrew Dobbs, a UT alumnus who organized the "mass farting" counter-protest, told the crowd. "We are in a scary time right now and lots of scary things are happening, and some people want us to be more afraid." 
 
 "I choose to believe that fear is not the solution to the threat of our time. That laughing in the face of fear is a courageous act and toting a gun around everywhere you go, maybe not so much," he added. "When you come to my community, to the university that I love, and you threaten the lives of my friends, what I have to say is, I'm going to fart in your face!" 
 
 The group of around 100 counter protesters shouted "Texas farts!" and "We fart in your general direction" as they marched down Guadalupe Street in Austin to meet members of Come and Take It Texas and DontComply.com who were staging the mock shooting across the street from the All Saints' Episcopal Church. 
 
 By the time the "mass farting" got there, however, the mock mass shooting was already over. The two groups had already held what they called their "theatrical performance" mimicking a mass shooting with cardboard guns and fake blood. 
 
 This is what the pro-gun demonstrators wanted, organizer Murdoch Pizgatti said, to show that a shooting can take place in a matter or seconds or minute while people are distracted by "their emotions." 
 
 "On the other side of campus, the mock mass shooting happened. You don't get a time and place, you don't get a flier or an invitation for a true mass shooting. They happen unannounced," said Pizgatti. "And the response time for the police to get over here was well after the event took place. That also illustrates the point of these gun-free zones. You must protest yourself. You must be armed." 
 
 Earlier Saturday, the groups held an open carry march near the area. It's legal to openly carry a long arm like a rifle in Texas. Come Jan. 1, it will be legal for licensed gun owners to openly carry their handguns, and concealed carry will be allowed in most buildings on public college campuses beginning August 2016. 
 
 Open carry of any deadly weapons will remain illegal at all institutions of higher learning, however, and K-12 schools, hospitals and several other locations across the state will continue to be designated gun-free zones after the new laws go into effect. 
 
 Pizgatti, who was openly carrying a handgun Saturday, repeatedly cited a law passed in 2013 that protects those who "accidentally" expose their concealed gun. "Whoops!" he said, laughing. 
 
 The mock mass shooting, which he billed as a protest meant to reveal the dangers of gun-free zones, quickly went viral after being announced on Facebook last week. The response from the UT community and other Austinites was swift and humorous. 
 
 Both protests claimed to win the day with the farters saying they effectively neutralized the impact of the mock shooting, and the pro-gun activists saying the counter-protesters made fools of themselves. 
 
 As both demonstrations died down, clergy and volunteers from All Saints' came out with buckets of soapy water to scrub the chalk outlines and fake blood left after the mock mass shooting. Dobbs rallied his troops once more, thanking them for their good humor. 
 
 "A bunch of people with fart guns scared these guys," said Dobbs. "It's time for us to stand up for good sense, for good humor and believe it or not, for a crowd with dildos and fart guns, a little bit of good taste." 

 AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Guns on one side of the street, counter-protesters making bathroom noises on the other. 
 
 Gun rights activist Phil Newsome, right, carries a gun and flags as he takes part in a march near the University of Texas, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in Austin, Texas. The group is planning a mock mass... (Associated Press) 
 
 A group of gun rights activists prepare for a march near the University of Texas, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in Austin, Texas. The group is planning a mock mass shooting near the campus. (AP Photo/Eric... (Associated Press) 
 
 Gun rights activists carry guns and flags as they arrive for a march near the University of Texas, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in Austin, Texas. The group is planning a mock mass shooting near the campus.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Gun rights activist Jason Orsek holds a sign as he prepares for a march near the University of Texas, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in Austin, Texas. The group is planning a mock mass shooting near the campus.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Gun rights activist Michael Short holds a gun as he prepares for a march near the University of Texas, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in Austin, Texas. The group is planning a mock mass shooting near the campus.... (Associated Press) 
 
 About a dozen gun rights activists staged an open carry march and mock mass shooting Saturday near the University of Texas, only to be outnumbered by counter-demonstrators who waived sex toys and tried to drown them out with chants. 
 
 The groups Come and Take It Texas and Don'tcomply.com initially wanted to hold their event on campus, but were told by school officials they would be charged with criminal trespassing. The group instead held their march, with several members openly carrying real assault-style rifles, in an area of shops and restaurants next to campus known as "The Drag." 
 
 The groups then slipped away from most media and onlookers and regrouped across the street from a campus chapel to "shoot" six people with cardboard guns. Victims were outlined with chalk to show where they fell. 
 
 After publicizing their event for nearly a week, organizers said they purposely avoided the crowds and media gathered to cover the event to prove that a shooter can strike anywhere and anytime. 
 
 "This is what happens. In real (shooting) events like this, you don't know when they're going to happen, you don't know where they're going to happen ... we purposely did it that way," said Jason Orsek, vice president of both gun groups. 
 
 The march and mock shooting event were met with mocking from Texas students and staff. 
 
 "Mock shootings mock victims," one group chanted while others waived sex toys and sounded off with the noise makers. 
 
 The Austin campus is home to one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history: sniper Charles Whitman killed 16 people in 1966, shooting dozens of victims from a perch atop the central clock tower. The event Saturday also occurred two days before the three-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in Connecticut that killed 26 people, many of whom were children. 
 
 "It's tasteless," said Robert Oxford, a Texas graduate student, instructor and member of the group Gun-Free UT said of the mock event. 
 
 The Texas legislature this year voted to allow concealed handguns on college campuses although public universities can carve out gun-free zones. Plans under consideration for the Austin campus would prohibit firearms in dorms but allow them in classrooms.
– The gun-rights debate has apparently boiled down to a fake mass shooting and machines that spit out fart noises. It all happened Saturday in Austin, Texas, where pro-gun activists staged a mock gun-massacre at a church and anti-gun protesters countered with what they called a "mass farting," the Houston Chronicle reports. The latter crowd, numbering about 100 and carrying dildos and fart machines, cried "Texas farts!" and "We fart in your general direction." As organizer and University of Texas alumnus Andrew Dobbs put it, "This isn't about guns necessarily. This is about scaring our community. This is about a choice between fear and a little bit of good humor." For their part, pro-gun demonstrators carried actual assault-style weapons in restaurants and stores near the UT campus—then got away from locals and many reporters to conduct a fake massacre at All Saints' Episcopal Church, the AP reports. The "shooting," done with fake blood and cardboard guns, was complete by the time "farting" protesters arrived. Pro-gun organizer Murdoch Pizgatti says surprise was the point: "You don't get a time and place, you don't get a flier or an invitation for a true mass shooting," he explains. "They happen unannounced." Open carry of long-arm weapons such as rifles is currently legal in Texas; licensed gun owners will be able to do the same with handguns starting Jan. 1, and concealed carry will be allowed in most public-college buildings starting next August.