It was not exactly the large protest they had wanted.
A sign from today’s protest. (CREDO)
Only 200 liberals marched to the NRA headquarters in Washington DC today.
The Huffington Post reported:
Gun control advocates marched to the National Rifle Association’s Capitol Hill office on Monday, in an effort to pressure the powerful organization to stop standing in the way of reform.
“The NRA has blood on their hands,” said Becky Bond, political director of the progressive advocacy group CREDO, which led the protest. “As one of the most powerful lobbies, the NRA has fought tooth and nail to weaken gun laws and is responsible for countless American deaths. In the wake of the terrible tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary school, the NRA must stand down and stop trying to prevent Congress from enacting sensible gun control laws that could save lives.”
The NRA spent $2.2 million lobbying Congress through the end of September, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The gun control lobby, on the other hand, spent just $180,000. In addition, the NRA dished out nearly $18 million in the 2012 elections, with most of it going to attack President Barack Obama.
Organizers estimated that around 200 people participated in the protest on Monday, including some political staffers who worked nearby and took some personal time to show their support for gun control.
The group met a couple of blocks away and then walked over to the NRA’s offices, with some shouting, “Shame on the NRA!” While there, CREDO campaign manager Josh Nelson began the event with a moment of silence for the victims of the Newtown, Conn. shooting.