SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. pro-gun organization, the National Rifle Association (NRA), on Thursday dropped a lawsuit against the city of San Francisco for calling it "a domestic terrorist organization," City Attorney Dennis Herrera said.
"We're pleased the NRA backed down on its frivolous lawsuit," Herrera said in a statement about the NRA decision to withdraw the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
He described the NRA lawsuit as "a baseless attempt" to silence San Francisco's valid criticism against the pro-gun group and to distract its attention from the gun violence epidemic across the United States.
"If the NRA doesn't want to be publicly condemned for its actions, it should stop sabotaging common sense gun safety regulations that would protect untold numbers of Americans every year," Herrera said.
After a mass shooting at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California in July killed 3 people and injured 17 others, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in early September voted unanimously to declare the NRA "a domestic terrorist organization" in a resolution and urged other cities, states and the federal government to follow suit, accusing the NRA of playing a major role in the proliferation of guns across the United Stats.
In response, the NRA said that it was "unconstitutional" and a frivolous insult for San Francisco to call it "a domestic terrorist organization."
In early October, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the resolution by the Board of Supervisors was non-binding, which will not limit the city's business activities with the NRA.
The U.S. gun advocacy group said on social media Thursday that its decision to back away from the lawsuit was a result of San Francisco's "retreat" from its previous position.
"The NRA will re-file if the City tries anything like this in the future," the NRA said.
