Walmart Protest In Connecticut To Demand Retailer End Sales Of Assault Weapons

One month after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Walmart is facing increased criticism for continuing to sell assault weapons.

A handful of activists plan to protest Walmart's sale of assault weapons at the Walmart store closest to Newtown -- in Danbury, Conn.. -- at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. They will ask to speak with the store manager and deliver boxes full of signatures on four petitions urging Walmart to stop selling assault weapons. Organizers have collected 291,000 signatures so far, totaling 5,000 pages, according to Kaytee Riek, campaign manager at Sum of Us, which organized one petition.

As the country's largest gun retailer, Walmart should "stand up to the NRA and listen to their customers and stop selling these guns," Riek told The Huffington Post.

Walmart did not respond to a request for comment from HuffPost Monday. After the Sandy Hook shooting, Walmart's website stopped selling the type of gun used in the shooting. But Walmart has continued to sell assault weapons in its stores.

"The SumOfUs.org community knows that Walmart prioritizes short-term profit over human life," the Sum of Us petition reads. "The shooting in Newtown last week was a devastating tragedy, but it's also a chance for Walmart’s bosses to reconsider the effects of Walmart's policies on our communities, our country, and the world."

Pam Simon, who was injured in the shooting of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), and Lori Haas, whose daughter Emily was injured in the Virginia Tech shooting, plan to attend the Tuesday protest, according to a press release.