Facebook removes top Virginia gun-rights group VCDL page, says it "will not be republishing": The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) has run into trouble with Facebook. In late January, Facebook removed the gun-rights group's page with no explanation, then restored it just as mysteriously. According to reporting by the Free Beacon, a Facebook spokesperson said the removal was an "error." Facebook then suspended the personal pages of several group leaders before restoring them as well. Subsequently, president Philip Van Cleave's personal account was again suspended. The same Facebook spokesperson told the Free Beacon that the company "would not offer more details on Van Cleave's initial suspension due to a 'very real and credible threat that people can game the system' if they understand how it works," and indicated that the suspension had something to do with the Capitol riot. However, "Van Cleave said neither he nor the group has ever advocated for violence or been involved with protesting the results of the 2020 election." On February 2, the VCDL page was once again removed by Facebook with no explanation. According to the Free Beacon, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the page was removed, saying "This was correctly actioned and we will not be republishing," but offered no further information on the reasoning. The group lobbies Virginia's government for gun rights, and organizes a yearly rally on Lobby Day.