HOUSTON (Texas) | The division of Americans on the question of firearms was more than palpable yesterday during the opening of the convention of the National Rifle Association, a few days after a shooting in an elementary school located just four hours from this large gathering.
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Photos Clara Loiseau
Gun enthusiasts shopped at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention yesterday as if nothing had happened, while thousands of protesters, like Marina Jenkins (in mortise) showed their disapproval outside the ‘pregnant.
Under the angry howls of hundreds of demonstrators shocked by the Uvalde shooting which left 21 dead, including 19 children, The newspaper snuck incognito at 151e NRA convention, which takes place until Sunday in Houston, Texas.
This is where thousands of their fellow citizens, including former President Donald Trump (see other text below), pride themselves on their right to own a gun.
revolted
In 33-degree sunshine across from the Georges W. Brown Convention Center, hundreds of angry people plead with the government to ban the purchase and possession of assault weapons, such as those used to kill the schoolchildren of Uvalde.
“Protect lives, not guns,” chanted demonstrators who came to protest on Avenue des Amériques.
“It’s shocking to see this event take place today, it’s insulting to the victims and their families,” said Marina Jenkins, a primary school teacher.
“I am ashamed of my country, of living in this state which prefers to protect its weapons than our children”, she drops.
- Listen to Luc Laliberté’s column at the microphone of Geneviève Pettersen on QUB radio:
Armed in Houston
Opposite her, across the street, thousands of gun enthusiasts of all stripes are heading to the congress of America’s biggest gun lobby.
To the shouts of insults from their opponents, the visitors amused themselves by answering them with the fingers of honor and other vulgarities.
“We also want to protect our children, I agree with those who are yelling at us! But to protect them, we have to arm our schools and train our children in the use of weapons,” says Tony, a firearms safety instructor, pointing to his gun hanging from his belt.
“It is thanks to this wonder that I feel safe,” he adds.
Protect
For his part, David McCoy, a trucker from West Texas, also sported his handgun in the heart of Houston, under the disapproving eye of demonstrators.
“With my job, I have no choice but to have one to protect myself and my truck. But this weapon will be used to defend anyone here who is attacked, it is to protect the population that I carry it, “says the 37-year-old man, disappointed not to have been able to see Donald Trump’s speech. .
Donald Trump hailed as a rock star
Welcomed like a real rock star at the Congress of the National Rifle Association (NRA), Donald Trump wants to arm citizens and schools to fight the evil that manages to make its way.
Nearly a thousand people from the gun lobby lined up yesterday at the Georges W. Brown Convention Center to see former US President Donald Trump.
Those wishing to attend the conference were not allowed to bring firearms. They could, however, leave their knife in the locker room. Several dozen bladed weapons were left in the locker room, according to what one of the employees told the Log yesterday.
Not a full house
After several hours of waiting, it was in a room with a hundred empty seats that the 45e President of the United States took the stage.
Photo REUTERS
Former President Donald Trump once again delighted gun enthusiasts with his traditional appearance at the NRA’s annual convention yesterday.
Many spectators who wore t-shirts and caps bearing the acronym “MAGA” (Make America Great Again) filmed his arrival, to the cheers of the public.
A man, visibly very moved to live this moment, recorded the entire speech which lasted nearly an hour.
Donald Trump immediately paid tribute to the victims of Uvalde by asking spectators to honor a minute of silence while he read aloud the names of the children and teachers who died.
Arm the schools
He then called for “arming the citizens”.
“The existence of evil in our society is no reason to disarm law-abiding citizens. The existence of evil is the reason for arming law-abiding citizens,” he said.
He also suggested that armed men protect the schools, in addition to adding metal detectors and fencing the schools, much to the delight of his admirers present in the room who applauded him for several minutes at the end of his speech, while chanting “USA, USA, USA”.