Over 4,000 people protested the NRA on Friday. They were staged across from the George R. Brown Convention Center where the NRA’s convention is taking place in Houston.
Over 4,000 People Protest Outside NRA Convention
The NRA, a Russian asset according to a Senate report, is having their convention in Houston just days after the gun culture resulting from their extremist lobbying allowed yet another mass shooting, this time at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas killing at least 19 kids and 2 teachers.
David Hogg, a founder and board member at March For Our Lives, observed, “Yeah this time is going to be different. This is in front of the NRA convention in Houston.”
Yeah this time is gonna be different. This is in front of the NRA convention in Houston. pic.twitter.com/3BLhKK1St9
— David Hogg 🌻 (@davidhogg111) May 27, 2022
There were 4,000 plus demonstrators, according to an officer from the Houston Police Department. Democratic candidate for governor Beto O’Rourke, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo spoke.
NBC News’ Mike Hixenbaugh shared multiple videos:
This group is walking around the NRA convention with a child-sized casket and holding up photos of kids killed in Uvalde.
“Protect our kids, not guns!” pic.twitter.com/ugyXx6EfUT
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) May 27, 2022
Across the street from the NRA convention: “Am I next?” pic.twitter.com/bEl9vLY6gG
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) May 27, 2022
He noted, “Alain Cisneros, a 44-year-old community organizer for an immigrant civil rights group, shouted into a bullhorn in Spanish: ‘Asesinos! Asesinos! Asesinos!’ Murderers! Murderers! Murderers!”
Independent investigative journalist Steven Monacelli noted that there were at least one thousand people there.
Monacelli tweeted that his application to cover the NRA was rejected and he was escorted out by police for asking why:
“It’s full. We are at capacity.”
I asked what capacity means.
“That’s proprietary.”
I asked the officer if anyone else has been escorted out.
He said no.
So he went outside to cover the protests, where he documented a North Texas based right wing “provocateur” trying to disrupt the event:
Here at the anti-NRA protest in Houston, I just witnessed North Texas based right wing provocateur who goes by the name Chet Goldstein get ejected by the crowd for trying to disrupt the event pic.twitter.com/PkW7tLQs7p
— steven monacelli (@stevanzetti) May 27, 2022
Because I’ve been denied access, I will now be reporting on the protest outside.
“How many kids have to die?” they chant. pic.twitter.com/8TDhISXkTA
— steven monacelli (@stevanzetti) May 27, 2022
The organizer says both Greg Abbott and “Lt. Governor whatever his name is” have blood on their hands, but so do we until we vote them out. pic.twitter.com/2AnbnE0XYa
— steven monacelli (@stevanzetti) May 27, 2022
A full pan of the crowd. Easily over a thousand here today protesting the NRA convention. pic.twitter.com/hCb0ypuUr9
— steven monacelli (@stevanzetti) May 27, 2022
It was over 90 degrees in the sun but he says energy was high:
Energy is high at the anti-NRA protest despite it being over 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun. pic.twitter.com/3ietWhsKgp
— steven monacelli (@stevanzetti) May 27, 2022
Monacelli is an independent journalist, his Patreon link is here.
A Tipping Point On Mass Shootings
Over 80% of Americans want some form of gun control, but almost the entire Republican Party has sold out to the Russian-infused NRA, which won’t tolerate any debate about safety measures, including basic ideas of background checks.
After every mass shooting, the nation hopes things will change. This one has unwittingly unmasked the failure of the NRA defense on almost every front, from “good guy with a gun” to “more guns make it more safe” as police stood outside and even in the hallways and refused to engage with the shooter even though they were armed and trained to do so.
It does feel as if things are reaching a tipping point. Just how much longer the American people will allow the non-elected NRA gun manufacturer lobby to dictate public policy is anyone’s guess, but innocent children being slaughtered under a misguided interpretation of the Second Amendment speaks urgently to everyone capable of empathy.
Let us hope that David Hogg is right. He is, sadly, an expert.
Ms. Jones is the co-founder/ editor-in-chief of PoliticusUSA and a member of the White House press pool.
Sarah hosts Politicus News and co-hosts Politicus Radio. Her analysis has been featured on several national radio, television news programs and talk shows, and print outlets including Stateside with David Shuster, as well as The Washington Post, The Atlantic Wire, CNN, MSNBC, The Week, The Hollywood Reporter, and more.
Sarah is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
