New Zealand imposed an immediate ban on assault weapons on Thursday, taking swift action in response to the Christchurch massacre and triggering renewed calls from leading American politicians for curbs in the United States.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said assault rifles andmilitary-style semi-automatic weapons would be banned with immediate effect,making good on a pledge to ensure that nothing like last week’s slaughter of 50people ever occurs in the Pacific nation again.
The killings by an Australian white supremacist have causednational soul-searching over New Zealand’s lax gun laws.
“In short, every semi-automatic weapon used in the terroristattack on Friday will be banned in this country,” Ardern said.
She added that high-capacity magazines and devices similar to bump stocks – which allow users to fire weapons faster – will also be banned. Proponents of gun control in the United States and around the world praised the move and denounced the US pro-gun lobby on social media, while American gun supporters defended their constitutional right to bear arms.