The gun shop that sold weapons to the alleged Christchurch mosque attacker is urging firearms owners to lobby New Zealand's Parliament about its gun law reforms.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the government would pass legislation banning military-style semiautomatic guns and semiautomatic rifles.
She has been lauded globally for her prompt action in the wake of the massacre on March 15, in which 50 people died across two mosques.
Gun City emailed its subscribers, urging them to sign a petition asking MPs not to unfairly target "law-abiding" gun owners, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Gun City boss David Tipple said his outlet had sold four weapons to the accused gunman in a police-verified, online process but there was no suggestion that any of those weapons were used in the attack.
The petition has nearly 11,000 signatures. It described the government's gun reforms, which are expected to come into force on April 11, as "ill-advised, partly due to the speed at which they have been implemented and also due to (understandable) emotionally driven public pressure."
It called for "an in-depth public consultation period on changes to New Zealand firearms legislation to ensure effective firearms legislation reform that does not unduly punish law-abiding firearms owners while maintaining assurances of public safety," the Herald reported.
The email asked for the government to provide more details on a buyback scheme of weapons, as well as whether owners would be compensated for lost income or employment.
Those signing the petition were also asked to write to their MPs and local police, and it was suggested they use phrases such as "I do not like the way I am being treated. I have not done anything wrong. I am law-abiding."
There has been concern over the speed of the legislation, which will only include committee hearings of submissions before being passed.
Act Party leader David Seymour described it as a "rushed process" that would "deny the public the chance to have their say."
"Trying to pass a law in less than three weeks is a recipe for bad lawmaking," he said.
Elsewhere, thousands attended a national remembrance service in Christchurch's Hagley Park. Ardern got a standing ovation when her name was announced prior to taking the stage.
"The world has been stuck in a vicious cycle of extremism breeding extremism, and it must end," she said.
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