Women's March organizers plan July protest against the NRA

Photo: (Photo By Scott Olson/Getty Images) President Donald Trump is introduced at the NRA-ILA's Leadership...

The organizers of the Women's March have launched a campaign to hold a protest against the National Rifle Association on July 14 in Fairfax, Va. — the town in which the NRA is headquartered.

The announcement for the protest followed a back-and-forth between the NRA and Women's March co-chair Tamika Mallory.

The conflict began in June, when the NRA released a controversial ad narrated by NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch. In it, Loesch claims that, among other things, liberals "use their schools to teach children that their president is another Hitler," and that they "smash windows, burn cars, shut down interstates and airports, bully and terrorize the law-abiding."

In response to the video, the Women's March group posted an open letter to Wayne LaPierre, the Executive Vice President of the NRA. The letter, written by Mallory, called for the NRA to remove the video narrated by Loesch, issue an apology to the American people for "suggest[ing] armed violence against communities of color" and "progressives," and make a statement in defense of Philando Castile, a man who was killed while trying to produce his concealed-weapon permit after being pulled over.

The NRA, however, didn't oblige Mallory's requests, and instead released a second video titled, "We Don't Apologize for Telling the Truth." In it, conservative talk show host Grant Stinchfield addresses Mallory directly.

"I'm talking to you Tamika Mallory," Stinchfield says in the video. "You wrote a letter to the NRA on behalf of the Women's March claiming our 'Clenched Fist of Truth' ad was an attack on minority communities. You call it dangerous and demand it to be taken down? I'm here to tell you not a chance."

The second video also addresses politicians and public figures who have spoken out against the first video, including activist DeRay McKesson and California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, the latter of whom Stinchfield links to the violent and anarchist-riddled UC Berkeley protests in the spring.

Signs at the San Francisco Women's March on Jan. 21, 2017 Signs at the San Francisco Women's March on Jan. 21, 2017 Photo: Falzone Photo: Falzone Image 1 of / 160 Caption Close Women's March organizers plan July protest against the NRA 1 / 160 Back to Gallery

Now, Mallory and the Women's March organizers are mobilizing via Facebook to protest the NRA in Virginia on July 14.

"Recent actions of the NRA demonstrate not only a disregard for the lives of black and brown people in America, but appear to be a direct endorsement of violence against women, our families and our communities for exercising our constitutional right to protest," the Facebook event page reads. "On July 14th, Women's March and partners will mobilize a mass demonstration, again grounded in the principles of Kingian nonviolence, to denounce the false and intimidating rhetoric of hatred and send a clear message that our movement will proudly and bravely continue to strive for the respect of the civil and human rights of all people."

The Women's March in January attracted between 3.2 million and 5.2 million protestors in at least 653 demonstrations in the United States, likely making it the largest single-day demonstration ever recorded in U.S. history, according to the Washington Post.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

