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Registration starts for NRA in Dallas

The exhibit hall opens Friday morning at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, and protests will soon follow.

DALLAS -- On billboards across North Texas, the NRA promoted it as 15 acres of guns and gear. 800 exhibitors have now put the finishing touches on their booths at the NRA’s annual convention, which officially opened Thursday evening. The exhibit hall opens Friday morning at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, and protests will soon follow.

“It was a sad day when the decision was made to put the NRA convention here in our town,” said Carol Donovan, Chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party.

Donovan attended a news conference organized by various activist groups announcing plans for a weekend of demonstrations.

Jeff Hood, the minister who organized the July 2016 protest which ended in a mass shooting, used his own experience to question the NRA’s beliefs.

“Five officers were slain in our streets,” he said. “And President Trump is going come to this city and talk about guns? Talk about guns and how we need more people to have guns?”

Inside the convention center, Charlie Hanson was preparing the booth for EMF, Early and Modern Firearms, a California-based gun distributor that produces antique firearms, some of which are used in the movie industry.

“People are always saying the gun does the damage, but it’s not the gun, it’s the person behind the gun,” Hanson said.

“My dad was born a hunter and fishermen. That’s how I grew up and that’s how my kids grew up. I’m guessing the people against it never grew up in that, have never tried it,” Hanson, an NRA member, added.

In addition to exhibitors selling their goods, the NRA convention will include seminars and workshops.

The main event is Friday, when the Institute for Legislative Action, or ILA, Leadership Forum will feature speeches from President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Governor Greg Abbott, Senator John Cornyn and Senator Ted Cruz.

Their presence means added security, added concern, and, for some, added frustration.

“We are here to stand against the big bully known as the NRA,” said Rev. Freddie Haynes at the news conference. Haynes is pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church. “NRA - we are standing our ground against your political bullying tactics and policies.”

He added, “We stand for real life, in the form of common sense gun regulations.”

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