A group of protesters angered over the shooting deaths of Texas elementary school students converged Friday outside the National Rifle Association (NRA)'s annual convention in Houston.
The protesters held crosses with photos of shooting victims and shouted, "NRA go away," and "Shame, it could be your kids today," as hundreds of members of the nation's biggest gun lobby arrived at the convention hall.
Tuesday's fatal shooting of 19 pupils and two teachers in Uvalde, a small town in the state of Texas, by an 18-year-old gunman equipped with an AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle again focused attention on the NRA, a major donor to Congress members, mostly Republicans.
Uvalde is about 450 kilometers west of Houston.
"The existence of evil in our world is not a reason to disarm law-abiding citizens," former U.S. President Donald Trump told the audience to cheers, echoing speakers who rejected background checks or bans on semiautomatic weapons.
Trump accused Democrats of trying to exploit the tragedy and demonizing gun owners. He called for overhauling school security and the nation's approach to mental health, and called yet again for trained teachers to be able to carry concealed weapons in the classroom.
Gun control advocates confront attendees across from the NRA's annual meeting in Houston, Texas, U.S., May 27, 2022. /CFP
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a Republican, urged attendees not to back down in their fight against gun control. "Now would be the worst time to quit. Now is when we double down," she said.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick dropped out of making in-person remarks at the event. Patrick said he withdrew so as not to "bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all the suffering in Uvalde."
A gun control advocate holds a sign during a protest across from the NRA's annual meeting in Houston, Texas, May 27, 2022. /CFP
The weekend convention was the five-million-member group's first annual get-together after two prior cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Posters celebrating its 150th anniversary hung over the exhibit hall.
In a pre-recorded video, Abbott said, "as Texans and as Americans we grieve and mourn with these families." But he said existing gun laws did not stop the Uvalde shooter and pushed back at calls for new legislation, saying "laws will not stop evil madmen from committing these atrocities."
(With input from AP and Reuters)
(Cover: Protesters gather at the NRA's annual meeting in Houston, Texas, May 27, 2022. /CFP)