Locals protest recent ads put out by National Rifle Association

Locals lined up on Del Monte Street in Monterey to protest two recent ads put out by the National Rifle Association.

“That portray protests of Trump administration policies and the protestors as being violent and criminal in nature,” said David Perry with Indivisible Monterey Bay.

Protestors said the videos language and images provoke fear and violence, demonizes people of color, violates freedom of speech and respect for women.

“It felt like a call to arms,” said Kathryn Maurer of Pacific Grove. “I think that for people that may be a little bit on edge, a little bit unstable, that they will hear it as that and that’s what’s so alarming.”

Protestors are asking for the ads to be removed immediately, for the NRA to issue an apology to the American people and for the NRA to make a statement defending Philando Castile’s right as a gun owner. They’re also asking the NRA to demand that the Department of Justice indict the police officer who killed Castile for violating his second amendment rights.

“We want the NRA to say hey we stand up for this guy and the police officer needs to be indicted,” said Jaqueline Smith, President of Women’s March CSUMB. “Just like they did in the other cases when a white person murdered someone and they were a registered gun owner.”

Cj’s Gunsmithing owner CJ Fraily said he supports the NRA and second amendment rights, but understands why some people are hurt and upset by their ad.

“Oh I can definitely see why some people are angry at it,” said Fraly. “It’s angry, its negative and it paints the people they’re talking about in a bad light.”

He said at the same time he agrees with some of the NRA’s raw principles and messages.

“Often the news is one sided and it’s often negative,” said Fraley.

“Hopefully it can bring everybody together and show that we all need to be supportive of each other,” said protestor Maddison Burton.