Thread: Brown Berets protest toy gun retailers

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Jun 19, 2006 9:49 pm US/Central

Dallas Protestors Take On Toy Gun Retailers

J.D. Miles
Reporting

(CBS 11 News) DALLAS Businesses that sell toy guns have become the target of protestors. Various civil rights groups, seeking a ban on the fake weapons that look real, are taking on the retailers who sell them.

CBS 11 News first reported last month on the efforts of southern Dallas activists. The groups protesting include the Black Panthers, New Black Panthers, and a Hispanic group called the Brown Berets.

They fear children could get hurt by someone who mistakes these toy weapons for the real thing, especially a police officer.

Monday, members of the groups demonstrated outside the Soul Bazaar on Hatcher Street, which they say sells the toys.

"We're trying to make the merchants aware of what the people in these communities want and what the people want is for these guns not to be sold in our neighborhoods," said Cassandra Guerra, Brown Berets.

Protestors are urging people to boycott the businesses which sell them.

"She has a pretty large stockpile of the guns, but she's not the only merchant selling these guns this is done citywide and mostly black and brown communities," said Darren X, Black Panther Party.

The groups protesting were the same ones who complained last month to CBS 11 News that the toy guns were being sold by west Dallas ice cream vendors.

Last week, they took their concerns to the city council which will consider their request for a ban.

Critics say bright coloring to make the guns look like toys is easy to cover up and could lead to the death of a child.

“They are selling it to the Hispanic children; as well I know a lot of children that have these guns. The little orange thing is easy to pop off. We're trying to stop the killing before it starts here," Guerra said.

CBS 11 News approached the owners of the Soul Bazaar, who denied selling the toys but refused to be interviewed.

The protestors say they plan to target any retailers they find selling toy guns.

The ban under consideration wouldn't prohibit the sale of the toy guns, just the right to have them in public.

Where are the parents? Quit putting this off on the village! If my kid brought one home, I'd break it and throw it away. Who is buying these toys for kids?

Dixie.

They fear children could get hurt by someone who mistakes these toy weapons for the real thing, especially a police officer.

Lest see, how about getting those OTHER people with guns in your town off the street first. Let the cops carry the guns. ...... Idiots...