DALLAS — More than 600 gun and gear exhibitors are at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center for the annual National Rifle Association meeting in Dallas.
Organizers are expecting some 75,000 people to attend the meeting, where former President Donald Trump is expected to be a keynote speaker at 3 pm
NRA Deputy Director Jennifer Briemann says people can expect extra security.
“The entire venue will be under the control of the US Secret Service,” she said. “It will be probably the most secure place you can find in town, so there are many preparations underway to make sure that it is a safe and fun experience for NRA members.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to speak, as well, amid numerous workshops and seminars taking place.
Adults and children are welcome to attend the free event. There are also protests at Dallas City Hall Plaza, where several groups say they’re concerned about children being able to join. One group is the Dallas Chapter of Moms Demand Action, which is comprised of moms fighting for public safety measures to prevent gun violence.
“It is interesting that the city of Dallas is allowing them to come in and obviously advertise, openly, that children are welcome to come to the event when we know that firearms are the leading cause of death in children and teens,” said MDA member Miriam Sharma.
She pointed to the NRA’s website, saying it’s “encouraging children to attend the annual meeting” and that it’s a “major issue.”
“As a mother of three children, I really felt that was inappropriate because we don’t allow children into casinos, and we don’t have children in bars,” she continued.
Students Demand Action and the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence spoke at a rally of about 100 people and later marched around the convention center.
The groups said they want stronger background checks, age verification on gun purchases and education on safe gun storage.
The faith-based group Texas Impact worked with five churches to organize a display of about 400 shirts. Each showed the names of gun violence victims who died beginning in 2018.
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