While Trump met with NRA leaders in the Oval Office Thursday night, moms across the country flooded churches, schools, and community centers to demand action on gun violence.
Trump huddled with his NRA bosses in the Oval Office Thursday night, just a day after meeting with lawmakers to discuss solutions to America's bloody gun violence epidemic.
But outside the White House, a much larger movement was taking place, as moms across the country packed community centers and churches to demand action on gun violence.
Mom's Demand Action, a gun violence prevention group with chapters across the country, held its regular meetings Thursday night. Except this week, those meetings were anything but routine.
In towns and cities from coast to coast, activists showed up in record-breaking numbers.
In Essex, New Jersey, over 200 people packed the pews of a local church — nearly seven times the number of people who usually attend the meeting.
@MomsDemand @shannonrwatts a packed house in Essex County, NJ tonight. Last month we had 30 people at our meeting, tonight is over 200. #ExpectUs #NeverAgain #BeSMART pic.twitter.com/E3trNgYGOK
— DG (@debigg1975) March 2, 2018
In St. Louis, Missouri, over 1,000 people showed up for the Mom's Demand Action meeting — more than 10 times the size of the usual crowd.
Between 1,000-1,500 people came out to the @MomsDemand #STL meeting tonight to support #CommonSenseGunLaws. Normally about 100 people attend. @PeterforMO said after #HB1936 passed out of committee Tuesday, "I needed this." @Rebecca_221B pic.twitter.com/yIJvGtwM3C
— Rebecca Rivas (@Rebeccarivas) March 2, 2018
In Howard County, Maryland, activists filled the seats and stood along the edges of the packed room.
Full house with people standing in the back at Howard County Democratic Women’s Alliance to listen to @MomsDemand HoCo and Marylanders Prevent Gun Violence. Thank you @christianarigby for bringing this panel together. #GunSenseNow #gunsense pic.twitter.com/89R3YG4iH2
— Sabina Taj (@sabina_taj) March 2, 2018
In Batesville, Arkansas, a new chapter of Moms Demand Action met for the first time.
This is Batesville,
Arkansas. Great turnout for our first @MomsDemand meeting! #arleg https://t.co/hxAkzfjf1H pic.twitter.com/aHZUERSpIu— Anthony Pitts (@hidypitts) March 2, 2018
The NRA may have Trump's ear, but gun violence prevention activists have the nation's attention — and they're not going anywhere.
