Fenced-off crowd boos and turns thumb down at Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott as he arrives while President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden to pay their respects at a makeshift memorial outside of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. CHANDAN KHANNA via Getty Images
President Joe Biden was warmly greeted when he visited Uvalde Sunday, but Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott was loudly booed as he approached the makeshift memorial at the elementary school where 19 children and two teachers were killed last week in a mass shooting.
“Shame on you, Abbott!” a voice could be heard amid the boos and shouts from the crowd fenced off from officials visiting the site.
“Please, Governor, help Uvalde County! We need change! Our children don’t deserve this,” a man shouted. “Our children are under constant attack in this community. We need help.”
The community has become increasingly critical of the Republican governor’s stubborn defense of easy access to guns, including assault-style rifles like the kind used in the elementary school shooting. The gunman legally purchased two AR-15s days after his 18th birthday earlier in May.
Abbott joined those gathered at the site seconds after Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived to applause and cheers. The Bidens, both tearful, could be seen talking to and hugging school officials.
After a Mass later, a crowd outside chanted: “Do something.” Biden, as he exited the church, responded: “We will.”
The Bidens spent several hours visiting victims’ families and survivors, and also met with first responders.
Uvalde was Biden’s third presidential trip to a mass shooting site, including one earlier this month to Buffalo, New York, where a white supremacist is accused of killing 10 Black people at a supermarket.
#Happeningnow Crowd Boos Texas Gov Greg Abbott as he arrives at the memorial outside of Uvalde Elementary School.#Uvalde #Texas pic.twitter.com/QWDOfXcvEw — Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) May 29, 2022
Greg Abbott gets booed by crowd and shouted at that we need change in our gun policies.
Don’t stop. 👏🏻pic.twitter.com/M6OiTek0ac — Dan 🇺🇸 (@HStarshot) May 29, 2022
Greg Abbott rightfully booed arriving at the Robb Elementary School memorial in #Uvalde.
I hope he can hear the boos from all over Texas and the country. https://t.co/X5LuFWxFDW — Lindsey #GetVaccinated and #WearADamnMask 😷 🌱 🛹 (@BlueTX2022) May 29, 2022
President Biden and the First Lady arrive at the memorial for the Uvalde victims at the Robb Elementary School.
The crowd cheered for them as they walked up. pic.twitter.com/pAXZDHpOCo — Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) May 29, 2022
The attack on school children has sparked heated new protests in the face of politicians reluctant to modify lax gun laws and a powerful gun industry financing their campaigns.
Beyond Uvalde, a massive crowd of protesters clamoring for gun control gathered outside the National Rifle Association’s weekend convention in Houston.
Following his controversial speech at the NRA convention, Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz was confronted in a nearby restaurant by a constituent Saturday, who angrily told him: “Nineteen children died! That’s on your hands! Ted Cruz, that’s on your hands!”
Texas has been the site of eight high-profile mass shootings in the last 13 years as lawmakers have loosened gun restrictions.
ersatzgiraffe on May 30th, 2022 at 03:05 UTC »
I see Abbott waited to visit until after the NRA convention was over to be respectful to the guns.
Teacher-Investor on May 30th, 2022 at 02:52 UTC »
Beto O'Rourke for Governor of TX
ElHanko on May 30th, 2022 at 02:47 UTC »
He deserves this treatment everywhere he goes for the rest of his life. Hell, that’s kind compared to what he deserves.