Following a state of emergency in Ferguson, there has been a return of armed militia group to the streets of Ferguson on patrol.

Tuesday, both protestors and the county police chief, who is overseeing security, did not welcome the group. The demonstrations and protests marking the one-year anniversary of 18-year-old Michael Brown who was shot to death by police have continued since beginning over the weekend, according to ABC News.

Joh Belmar, the St. Louis County Police Chief, openly stated that the presence of Oath Keepers with camouflage bulletproof vests with rifles and pistols on West Florissant Avenue was highly unnecessary. This is the area that was the crux of the marches and protests over the past few days.

The armed patrols were from the far-right anti-government activist group, in which Belmar questioned prosecutor Bob McCulloch about their legality. The patrols are made up of past, as well as present, military members, first responders and police officers.

But the law in Missouri clearly states that anyone with a concealed carry permit can openly display a firearm at any location within the state.

The group’s membership coordinator referred all inquires to group founder Stewart Rhodes.

The Oath Keepers arrived in Ferguson in November when a grand jury declined to indict former Ferguson officer Darren Wilson on Brown’s death. They said at that time they stationed themselves there along rooftops to protect businesses from looters and rioting.

They were ordered to leave by county police, but the group members returned intermittently. The half-dozen Oath Keepers interacted freely with police late Monday and early on Tuesday, despite the vocal criticism by demonstrators.

Protest organizer Nabeehah Azeez called the presence of the armed men “a contradiction in how things work.”

“The rules don’t apply to everyone,” she said. “If those were black men walking around with rifles, they probably wouldn’t be living today.”