DALLAS — About 150 people gathered outside Dallas City Hall Saturday morning to rally against the National Rife Association's annual meeting held at the convention center next door.
The protesters argued for stricter gun safety regulations, mourned hundreds of victims of gun violence in Dallas County and argued that the NRA's opposition to legislative change contributed to mass shootings.
"I'm calling on the NRA to abandon its 'guns everywhere' agenda because we're not going to shoot our way out of this crisis," said Mireya Rodriguez, a survivor of the Allen Premium Outlet Mall mass shooting.
Other speakers from organizing groups Moms Demand Action, Everytown and Giffords spoke about the need for stricter gun legislation and urged attendees to vote for political candidates who are supportive of their cause.
"As a young person, as a university student, it matters to not only me but to a lot of lives in America that are just growing up here too," Rodriguez said.
The groups placed more than 400 T-shirts along the walkway outside City Hall, each labeled with the name of someone who had died because of gun violence.
As NRA conference attendees walked by, other protesters spoke about their desire to find common cause.
"We all can have rights to own guns if we want and at the same time be responsible with those too so that we don't have to live in fear," said Alice Hernandez, a pastor from Richardson. "I hope that they will consider how we can partner together to make laws that will make gun safety a reality."
At the conclusion of the rally, the protesters marched around the plaza in front of City Hall chanting "no more silence, end gun violence" and other slogans.