Video: Newtown Action Alliance member David Stowe speaks to reporters about the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Representatives from the Newtown Action Alliance and other anti-gun violence organizations spoke at a protest rally across Church Hill Road from the Newtown Shooting Sports Foundation Monday morning, calling on the organization to take responsibility and work to curb gun violence in America.
"The industry is selling dangerous fantasies," said Stowe, one of several speakers at the rally, including State Rep. Kim Fawcett (D-Fairfield), who compared gun marketing to the marketing of cigarettes to children in the 1970s.
Some supporters of the NSSF and other firearms organizations appeared at the protest, including a group campaigning against State Sen. John McKinney for governor. One advocate, Matt Battali, stood across the street from protestors and said he came to show support for the NSSF.
"The Newtown Action Alliance chose a vulnerable time to come here and attack [the organization] while they're at a trade show," he said.
The NSSF-organized S.H.O.T. (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show begins Tuesday in Las Vegas.
In a statement issued Monday, the NSSF's Bill Brassard said the group "firmly reject[s]" the mischaracterization of the group, citing their involvement in efforts to curb gun violence including distributing gun locks and supporting criminal background check processes.
"We all abhor the criminal misuse of firearms," said Brassard. "We understand that emotions run strong. But it is important to keep in mind that the Department of Justice and the Pew Research Center have both documented a dramatic 30-year downward trend in the use of firearms in violent crime, even as our nation’s population and the number of guns owned by Americans has risen significantly."
Police were present at the event to maintain order.
Representatives from the Newtown Action Alliance and other anti-gun violence organizations spoke at a protest rally across Church Hill Road from the Newtown Shooting Sports Foundation Monday morning, calling on the organization to take responsibility and work to curb gun violence in America.
"The industry is selling dangerous fantasies," said Stowe, one of several speakers at the rally, including State Rep. Kim Fawcett (D-Fairfield), who compared gun marketing to the marketing of cigarettes to children in the 1970s.
Some supporters of the NSSF and other firearms organizations appeared at the protest, including a group campaigning against State Sen. John McKinney for governor. One advocate, Matt Battali, stood across the street from protestors and said he came to show support for the NSSF.
"The Newtown Action Alliance chose a vulnerable time to come here and attack [the organization] while they're at a trade show," he said.
The NSSF-organized S.H.O.T. (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show begins Tuesday in Las Vegas.
In a statement issued Monday, the NSSF's Bill Brassard said the group "firmly reject[s]" the mischaracterization of the group, citing their involvement in efforts to curb gun violence including distributing gun locks and supporting criminal background check processes.
"We all abhor the criminal misuse of firearms," said Brassard. "We understand that emotions run strong. But it is important to keep in mind that the Department of Justice and the Pew Research Center have both documented a dramatic 30-year downward trend in the use of firearms in violent crime, even as our nation’s population and the number of guns owned by Americans has risen significantly."
Police were present at the event to maintain order.
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