An estimated 70,000 people are expected to attend the annual convention in downtown Dallas this weekend. Former President Trump is scheduled to speak on Saturday.
DALLAS — There was no sign of leadership turmoil at the top of the country's most prominent gun rights organization in the crowded room at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting on Friday.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend this weekend's convention in downtown Dallas, where more than 650 vendors will occupy 14 acres and display rifles, revolvers, ammunition and more.
“You get to meet a lot of like-minded people and it's a great environment,” said Lesa Vice, an NRA lifetime member visiting from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at the convention again this year, and gun violence prevention groups are planning an outdoor rally ahead of his remarks.
“For years, the National Rifle Association has basically held the firearms industry accountable,” said Miriam Sharma, co-chair of the Dallas chapter of Moms Demand Action.
Her group promotes gun safety legislation.
“It's not really about anyone's freedom, it's purely about safety,” she said.
Sharma said protesters plan to display hundreds of T-shirts with the names of Dallas County gun violence victims outside City Hall, which is adjacent to the convention center.
“My hope is that when they see a T-shirt with the name of someone who has died from gun violence, they feel a moment of empathy,” Sharma said.
This year's annual meeting will be the first in decades for the NRA without Wayne LaPierre leading the organization. The longtime CEO resigned earlier this year, shortly before a jury found he had misappropriated the group's millions of dollars to fund his lavish lifestyle.
Monday's board meeting is expected to elect LaPierre's successor and other officers.
The scandal didn't deter Caleb Seacrest from becoming a member of the organization last year. He traveled from southeast Kansas this weekend to attend his first NRA meeting.
“I've never seen anything of this scale, so it's a lot of fun to walk around and look at all the booths,” Seacrest said, adding that he may purchase firearms at some point over the weekend. .
He said gatherings scheduled outside the event were not phased in. “I think it's good to hear both sides and see what both sides think,” he said.
“In order to achieve the ultimate goal, we ultimately have to compromise. They have a right to protest, but I think they should also listen to us,” Seacrest said. .
The possibility of conversation and collaboration is also Sharma's goal.
“Let's sit down at the table together and move forward,” she said. “We can make a difference.”
