The National Rifle Association began its annual convention in Houston on Friday amidst widespread protests, even as parents are grappling with questions on how law enforcement agencies responded to the deadly shooting at a school in Uvalde in Texas in which 19 children and 2 teachers were killed.
Former President Donald Trump and other leading Republicans are scheduled to address the three-day firearms marketing and advocacy event, which is expected to draw protesters fed up with gun violence. About 55,000 people were expected to attend the NRA annual meeting at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston.
Thousands of people protested for gun control outside the annual National Rifle Association convention here Friday.
The scene reflected the mood of a deeply divided country, with NRA opponents and supporters arrayed on opposite sides of the street, hard against two sets of barricades, with dozens of Houston police in between.
On one side, protesters chanted, "Protect our kids, not guns!" and hoisted signs that read, "No more thoughts and prayers" and "Your hobby isn't worth our kids' lives!" On the other side, convention attendees snapped photos and smiled.
Riley, who grew up hunting and trained with automatic rifles in the military, said the age limit to buy AR-15-style rifles should be raised and training required, as it is in the military.
Next to him, Dr. Erik Antonsen, 47, said he works at a nearby emergency room and felt compelled to protest after treating children wounded in shootings. "Anyone who has ever taken care of a child who's been shot... I could never be on the other side of this street," he said.
Local kindergarten teacher Lauren Sander had just arrived at the protest with her 11-month-old daughter when she ran into a man wearing an NRA lifetime member ribbon and a "Black guns matter" T-shirt. Sander held a sign that said, "Is my class next?"
The National Rifle Association (NRA), the largest gun-owners organization in the US, lobbies against gun-control laws. The NRA condemned the shooting in Uvalde, calling it a "horrific and evil crime" and "the act of a lone, deranged criminal". It said it would "redouble our commitment to making our schools secure."