TTAG’s cameras were there this morning as about 250 anti-gun activists convened in the shadow of Dallas City Hall, across the street from the convention center where almost 80,000 NRA members looked over guns and gear. The Rally 4 Reform was ostensibly organized by StudentsMarch.org, but appears to also have had the backing of Michael Bloomberg’s Moms Demand Action as well.
The protest featured a line-up of speakers from various anti-gun groups. Between speakers, artist Manuel Oliver, whose son was one of the students murdered at Parkland, completed a large canvas set up behind the speakers.
But as always, the people-watching was the most entertaining part of the event.
The first speaker to take the stage was Azalea Leal advocacy director of StudentsMarch.org.
Leal’s was probably the lest militant message of the day, claiming that StudetnsMarch.org is a bipartisan effort to expose “extremism” heading into the election, with the goal of ending our “blind and deaf complacency” to affect change.
Next to be heard was Moms Demand Action’s Survivor Engagement Lead of the state of Texas, Amanda Johnson.
Johnson emphasized that she understands the gun culture, having gown up in a home with firearms. Her younger sister, who had battled depression used one to commit suicide in 1999. She said she didn’t blame the gun, which she called a hunk of metal that isn’t, in itself, evil.
But she believes that with two-thirds of the annual deaths by firearm being suicides, safe storage laws and concealed carry reciprocity will result in more guns being available to people who, without easy access to guns, might change their minds about using one to end their lives.
She touted Moms Demand Actions’ alleged success in “drowning out the NRA”‘s message and defeating permitless carry laws” (constitutional carry) “in almost every state where it’s come up for a vote. Perhaps she isn’t aware that if Oklahoma’s governor signs the bill currently on her desk, that will make 14 states with permitless carry.
She also counted “red flag laws” (extreme risk protection orders) among the Moms’ priorities, saying they “refuse to reason with unreasonable politicians” any more. They intend to work to replace them with “GunSense champions” so that her children won’t be part of “the second mass shooting generation.”
Some of the employees in Dallas city hall were apparently sympathetic to the anti-gun cause.
And some of the sign-toters may not have had all the facts.
Tommy Murray of the Newtown Action Alliance was next to address the crowd of about 250 people (and at least two dozen media members).
He recounted the day “his neighbor killed his classmate’s sibling” and decried the fact at since Newtown, “Congress has done absolutely nothing.” He called out Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Ted Cruz, John Cornyn and Greg Abbott by name for “traveling to the NRA because they only care about blood money.”
He demanded change to “the NRA’s guns to everyone everywhere agenda” and called on the crowd to “march to the polls and vote only for candidates that have taken the No NRA Money pledge.
Finally Kim Russell, Executive Advisor of the far-left Women’s March organization (and a former national outreach director for Moms Demand Action) took the stage.
She’d had a gun held to her head and was shot in an Atlanta shootout in 1999 when a friend of hers was killed. And though she “grew up with guns,” she’s sure that “if she had a gun that night, she’d be dead.”
Her message: there’s “common ground to be found.” We “all want the same thing…safety.” But, there are “no reasonable conversations with the NRA at the table.” They’re nothing more than “a middle-man moving money from gun makers to politicians.” The NRA “stokes racial tensions and misogyny.” She told the crowd that the only “true safety is found through solidarity” and she cryptically concluded that it’s “time to define and own our own safety.”
All the while, during breaks between speakers, Manuel Oliver, who had mounted an exhibition to commemorate the Parkland Shooting and his son, Joaquin, who died in the shooting, worked to complete a mural on the stage.
The mural’s final message: We Demand a Fair Game.
Finally Kim Russell, Executive Advisor “grew up with guns,” she’s sure that “if she had a gun that night, she’d be dead.”
Hmmm I can’t believe that one or she never really shot one except –that once and awhile during camping or something!
and that head count??
you or they are sure of that 250??
its not really 150 or 200 media and the rest are ‘protesters’???
looks like someone forgot to hire out for crowds of protesters????
That’s my best guess. I’m no expert at crowd estimation.
The first picture has the most people in it and I counted 88 not including obvious media. That isn’t exact, but close. You can figure there’s more than that there, but I doubt double.
“We demand a fair game,” eh? Then why was the cacophony of protests so loud when someone decided that Mr. Hogg’s outrageousness was “fair game” for rebuttal? No, they do not want a fair game, they want a stacked deck.
The most noteworthy thing about this sad little protest was the appearance of conservative comedian Steven Crowder to troll them all…
I’d like to see the front of that ‘Sponsored by Bank of America’ shirt. Oh, and the ‘Nut-Job, Racist A**hole’ tells me everything I need to know about that person – when you START with ad-hominem attacks, you’ve already lost.
Safe bet with all the “news” there someone took a pic facing the BoA shirt, just a matter of finding the image while wading around in all the BS news.
Jesus, what’s with the stamp on the forehead? It today the anti-gun ash Wednesday?
TroutsBane….. I don’t think that I would walk around Dallas with a bulls eye stamped on my forehead .
Evolution in Action.
So where is Mein Hogg and his cohort of Storm Troopers?
You think Hogg has the balls to confront the NRA FTF? He is more of a long distance complainer.
I like the woman holding the female reproductive organs photo which actually in the wrong person is much more dangerous than a gun. Idiots breeding can be dangerous.
There should be a background check before some retarded old lady makes a farcical sign. Hurry up and have a stroke ya old bag!
There’s never been a subject women have engaged with, and haven’t narcissistically made it about themselves. Amazing.
I wish I could have been there. I would have explained that the reason that whore’s uterus is more regulated than a pistol, is that her uterus has the potential to bring about another brain dead waste of life that will undoubtedly waste resources far more than a simple machine ever could.
Wonder if any of these ignorant people realize that both Planned Parenthood and Google pay more to lobbying than the NRA? But OMGguns!amirite?!
Idiots never seem to realize that Planned Parenthood kills more in half a day then died at Parkland in the shooting that the govt allowed to happen. FBI looked away, Sheriff looked away, tell me it wasn’t allowed
Nice job reporting the story Dan.
The red-head with the uterus sign was pretty. A lot of these people I really wish I could have an honest sit-down with and explain the facts to them. They just are so ill-informed.
I looked on Friday (raining which melts snowflakes) and Sat and didn’t see ONE protester during walk to/from the car.
The head of longhorn cattle sculpture was neat. LOTs of attractive gun gals at the show. Won a Daniel Defense AR at the Wall of Guns which was awesome. If the show is ever within range of your home GO.
Concerning the first sign, re NRA buying senators, I have this view: The availability for sale of your politicians is a far lesser threat to America than the fact that US elections are decided by a few hundred individuals with little or no reference to the actual numbers of votes cast. After all, the Founding Fathers wanted a Republic, they certainly didn’t want a democracy. Maybe if there had been Founding Mothers, a more sensible arrangement for forming a government would have come about. In any case, bitching about the outcome is poor sportsmanship.
Some people just enjoy a day in the sun prancing around in costume, and if they spout inanities while holding entertaining signs, who am I to complain? I have hobbies, too.
I was at the NRA convention on Saturday and saw that stupid collage and heard their moronic droning about common sense blah, blah, blah.
From what I saw it seemed around 150 people max, counting photographers/press. This was funny because while there were orders of magnitudes more people going to the NRA event the press was solely focused on the protestors.
For what it’s worth the NRA attendees were very nice and were a diverse an open group. These people seemed like angry social outcasts.
Comments are closed.