The National Rifle Association (NRA) has been criticised for pushing on with plans to host a Texas convention so soon after the school mass shooting in the state.
The gun-rights advocate group will be holding the Annual Leadership Forum in Houston, Texas, today, Friday (May 27), just three days after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire at Robb Elementary, killing 21 people.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Senator Ted Cruz are set to appear at the convention, and former US President Donald Trump will headline the event, according to The Guardian.
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However, several protests are also set to be staged outside the George R Brown Convention Centre, where members of the group will gather to go through exhibits of firearms, gun paraphernalia and hear from prominent Republican politicians.
Civil rights activist and founder of the Black Lives Matter movement Ashton P Woods said the organisation was ‘not welcome’ in Texas following the mass shooting in Uvalde.
“These people are coming into our community. The city of Houston needs to kick them out,” he told The Guardian.
“We have to be just as tough about these things as they are.”
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Woods also added that the protests would raise awareness of the need for urgent gun law reform from the US Congress.
“Whether it be death by suicide, death by cop, death by mass shooter, we need to control the access people have to deadly weapons,” he said.
“These things are interconnected.”
In the wake of the school shooting, the NRA issued a statement offering their sympathy to the families of the victims, which fell on deaf ears.
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They wrote: “Although an investigation is underway and facts are still emerging, we recognise this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal.
"As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognise our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making schools safe.”
The NRA has a long history of supporting the Republican party, often donating to its members and campaigns.
Fortune reports that the organisation spent more than USD $12 million campaigning against Joe Biden while contributing more than USD $4.5 million for Donald Trump.
The group has also donated USD $50.5 million to federal candidates and parties between 1989 and 2020, with a large amount of funding directed towards Republicans, according to a study conducted by OpenSecrets.
Charisa Bossinakis