NRA Trolls Student Gun-Control Protests

The National Rifle Association had an active morning on Twitter, as students around the country walked out of school in a coordinated call for gun control policy change.

The national walkout was planned for Wednesday, March 14, the one-month anniversary of the tragic Parkland, Florida school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, according to a report by The Hill. The shooting took 17 lives and put 16 more people in the hospital. It also led to an unprecedented call to action from high schoolers, begging lawmakers to enact new policies that would prevent mass shootings in the future.

The NRA has lobbied against these calls every step of the way, and has developed a combative relationship with student protesters. Activists have begun to identify politicians who accept donations from the gun rights lobbyist group as the enemies of their campaign to end gun violence in schools.

“I’ll control my own gun, thank you,” tweeted the official NRA account during Wednesday morning’s walk-out. The post was accompanied by touched up photo of a rifle with the same phrase written above it. The gun has an American flag painted on it, and the organization included a “retweet” symbol beside its initials.

The NRA also posted a few tweets throughout the day summarizing its ideas for securing schools with more guns, rather than less. The organization posted about the Stop School Violence Act, a piece of legislation they say would add funding to existing program around the U.S. to stop school shootings.

“Let’s work together to secure our schools and stop school violence. We protect our banks, our sports stadiums and our government buildings better than we protect our schools. That must change,” the NRA tweeted.

The organization pushed a video several times, showing spokesman Chris Cox speaking about the lobbying group’s plan.

“Passing new gun control laws won’t protect our kids, because criminals willing to commit murder will never obey the law,” he said.

The NRA is embroiled in a lawsuit against the state of Florida, after lawmakers passed a bill that they say impedes on second amendment rights. The new law raises the age to purchase rifles from 18 to 21 in the state, and adds a three-day waiting period to long guns as well as hand guns. It also bans bump stock devices, like the one used in the shooting in Las Vegas last year.

However, people on the other side of the political spectrum aren’t pleased with the new law either, as it includes a new program that will arm certain teachers and school personnel in the hopes of deterring or combating potential school shooters in the future.