Actress Bette Midler is encouraging demonstrators to protest the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) convention — armed.
Midler shared a tweet from a user calling for people to “SHOW UP AND PROTEST AT THIS CONFERENCE.”
“AT THE GEORGE R BROWN CONVENTION CENTER IN HOUSTON TEXAS, THIS WEEKEND. Come armed,” she added.
AT THE GEORGE R BROWN CONVENTION CENTER IN HOUSTON TEXAS, THIS WEEKEND. Come armed. https://t.co/QNUJkLGEqh
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) May 25, 2022
The tweet Midler shared was in response to an account “Duty To Warn,” which wrote, “The NRA conference is THIS Friday. In Houston, Texas. Nice timing, a**holes. Speakers include Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott, who boasts an A+ rating from the same NRA. Are they worried? No.”
“The conference area is a ‘no gun’ zone. They’re brazen, greedy, and shameless, not stupid,” it added.
The NRA conference is THIS Friday. In Houston, Texas. Nice timing, a**holes. Speakers include Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott, who boasts an A+ rating from the same NRA. Are they worried? No. The conference area is a "no gun" zone. They're brazen, greedy, and shameless, not stupid.
— Duty To Warn ? (@duty2warn) May 25, 2022
The NRA’s annual meeting is slated to kick off Friday in Houston, Texas, just days after a gunman killed 19 children and two adults in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Several prominent conservatives were scheduled to speak at the event, but since the shooting, some have announced that they will no longer attend.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced Friday he would not be attending the meeting.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) also said on Friday that “after prayerful consideration and discussion with NRA officials,” he would no longer attend.
Additionally, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) backed out of the convention.
Meanwhile, musicians Don McLean, Lee Greenwood, Larry Gatlin, and Larry Stewart have canceled their performances.
However, former President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks at the event.
“America needs real solutions and real leadership in this moment, not politicians and partisanship,” Trump said in a statement addressing whether he would cancel.
He added, “That’s why I will keep my longtime commitment to speak in Texas at the NRA Convention and deliver an important address to America. In the meantime, we all continue to pray for the victims, their families, and for our entire nation—we are all in this together!”
During Trump’s speech, attendees will not be allowed to carry firearms, firearm accessories, knives, ammunition, laser pointers, backpacks, pepper spray, or toy guns.
