Do you know anything at all about gun owners? Westcliffe? As someone who has actually been there, hunted there, know people from there,. I think you have it slightly wrong. First, I am a CCW holder, am not a member of any biker group, let alone any gangs. Just an ordinary person who believes in taking care of myself. I do drive a pickup, does that count? I don.t make a big deal out of carrying. , but I often do. I would march in this parade if I were back in Colorado.
Second. The town lies halfway up the Wet Mountain Valley. You don't go through Westcliffe, you go to it. Follow the road and you end up dead ending at a string of 14K peaks. The area is mostly large ranches, and the population is mostly ranch people. There is also a large population (30%, according to Google) of retired military. There are few in the area that would be intimated by someone carrying an unloaded weapon in a parade. Guns are a way of life. The fact that the town picked up the parade after the C of C wussied out ought to tell you a lot.
My best guess is that a few people didn't like the protest and bitched. Not so much about the unloaded guns, but about protesting the new law. The CofC decided to get out of the controversy. I would also guess that if those biker gangs show up, they will be politely ushered out of town. Likewise, I anticipate no trouble that the locals can't handle.