BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A Kern County man is testing his Second Amendment right to bear arms.

Rafael Esqueda said he has been visiting different public places over the past week with his gun on his belt.

"We can openly carry in California," he said. "The firearm has to be unloaded in plain view, and the magazine, which is an integral part of the firearm, have to be exposed, also."

In an effort to promote his platform, he, and about four of his friends, all showed up at River Walk Park on Sunday afternoon with their guns exposed. Eyewitness News was there to capture reactions from parkgoers and the event that was to follow.

One family who was at the park fishing with children and grandchildren said they didn't feel comfortable with the guns out. Sandra Cantu is a grandmother and thought what Esqueda was doing was not right.

"I have a lot of grandkids, and I wouldn't want them to do that," she said. "It's showing a mixed message that they could carry them."

About 20 minutes after Esqueda arrived, Bakersfield police arrived and informed him that it was against city code to carry guns in a city park. Esqueda complied and told Eyewitness News that he "learned something new."

He went onto say, "No problems, no arrest, nobody got shot or murdered."

Eyewitness News asked Esqueda what he thought about people that have been shot, specifically about what happened in the Virginia Tech shootings.

"If the schools wasn't so strict with the right to carry firearms, then the situation would have been handled differently, maybe less lives lost," answered Esqueda.

This group of gun-carrying individuals visited the Valley Plaza Mall last week and were told to leave. Esqueda said he has also walked into restaurants and book stores and was never questioned and allowed to stay.

"This is a public place. I have the right to express myself," he said. "This is basically a stand to say, 'Hey, we can do this. You don't want to see it, then change the laws.'"