Houstonians plan multiple protests at NRA convention in wake of Uvalde shooting

Norma González didn’t plan to be in Houston this weekend. The immigration advocate was going to be in Corpus Christi for a conference with other professionals in her field, to strategize about how they could best work together to serve their community. Instead, González, 26, will be at Discovery Green on Friday protesting the National Rifle Association’s upcoming convention. Headlining the event are former President Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz and other high-ranking Texas Republicans who plan to speak in support of gun owners’ rights just three days after a gunman armed with an AR-15 killed 19 children and two adults in Uvalde. EXPLAINER: What to know about the NRA convention in Houston, days after the Uvalde school shooting She’ll be thinking of her cousins who are teachers in San Antonio and Harlingen, and her nieces and nephews who go to school every day unsure of what they’ll face. “Its really important that I stand with my city because every time this happens it’s closer and closer to home, and you never know when it’ll be somebody you know,” González said, after tweeting out a list of protests scheduled in hopes she could encourage others to join her. Friday’s protest at noon on Discovery Green — across from the George R. Brown Convention Center where the NRA Convention will be held — is being organized by Black Lives Matter Houston, Indivisible Houston, Moms Demand Action and the Harris County Democratic Party. Ashton Woods, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Houston, said that the organizers will make space for survivors of gun violence to speak to the supporters and convention attendees. He said elected officials will likely make remarks as well. He also hopes to turn the event into a “mass voter registration event.” “There’s some audacity to be having that convention in the City of Houston, and it’s a slap in the face to Texans not just because of what happened (Monday) but because once upon a time, Harris County was deeply conservative, and that’s not the case anymore,” Woods said. FIEL Houston, an immigrant advocacy group, will join the protest and is planning an action for 1 p.m. directly in front of the convention center, at 1001 Avenida De Las Americas. Previous demonstrations, however, such as the Indigenous protest against the World Petrol Congress, have been moved to fenced off areas on the sidewalk between Discovery Green and the George R. Brown Convention Center. Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL, said he has informed the Houston Police Department of the planned protest. He said the mobilization is critical because of the group’s solidarity with the majority population of Uvalde. NRA CONVENTION: Guns are banned at Houston NRA conference where Trump is speaking — but it's not because of Uvalde “We want to do a direct action right in front of the convention center. We want to be seen,” said Espinosa. “This was a highly Latino community, and we want to make sure their voices are heard and our community gets to express that frustration that we’ve felt for so long.” Houston police said they “are aware of the planned protests and will make zones available to protest in,” and referred questions about protests to the Discovery Green Conservancy. Woods, of Black Lives Matter Houston, said that he is coordinating with the Conservancy for Friday’s protest, which the Conservancy confirmed, and does not anticipate any issues. “We’re not there to incite anything, we’re just there to make the (NRA) uncomfortable and run them out of Houston,” Woods said. The League of United Latin American Citizens is also hosting a protest outside the convention center’s main entrance at 10 a.m., and a Houston interfaith group is planning to gather for prayer and a march at 1 p.m. On Thursday, a protest led by the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest group is planned for 3:30 p.m. at City Hall to demand that Mayor Sylvester Turner cancel the NRA Convention. “If the city can determine that protests are illegal gatherings and disperse them, then why can’t it declare an NRA convention with Trump and Cruz a center of insurrection and domestic terrorism?” said Neil Aquino, an organizer of the protest. “I don’t understand how domestic terrorists and insurrectionists preaching replacement theory get use of the convention center in the most diverse city in America,” Aquino said. A petition to cancel the convention, organized by “the Cornyn protest group” had garnered over 6,300 signatures by Wednesday afternoon. Over 1,600 people signed a similar petition created by a local physicians’ group. Turner pushed back on those requests at a City Council meeting on Wednesday, arguing that the event had been booked for over two years and that the city was contractually obligated to move forward with it or face lawsuits. Trump, Abbott and Cruz were still booked to speak at the convention as of Tuesday evening. And the NRA was holding its ground. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families and victims involved in this horrific and evil crime,” the NRA said in a statement. “As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.” sam.kelly@chron.com - LIVE UPDATES: Follow along for the latest news and analysis on the Uvalde school massacre - 'How do you comfort a child that’s broken?': Uvalde faces the grim reality of a horrific massacre - Beto O'Rourke confronts Abbott during news conference on Uvalde mass shooting: 'This is on you' - AR-style rifles like the one used in Uvalde shooting often leave victims unrecognizable, experts say - Houstonians plan multiple protests at NRA convention in wake of Uvalde shooting - Remembering the lives lost in Uvalde - How to contact lawmakers in Houston and Washington about gun violence - 'My heart is broken': 19 kids, 2 adults killed in Uvalde school massacre - How to help Robb Elementary School shooting victims and families

Houstonians plan multiple protests at NRA convention in wake of Uvalde shooting

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