Updated 34 minutes ago
PARKLAND, Fla. — Survivors of the Parkland school shooting lay down in “die ins” at two Publix supermarkets Friday to protest the chain's support for a gubernatorial candidate aligned with the National Rifle Association, as the company announced a suspension of political contributions.
The students from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shouted “USA, not NRA!” and caused brief delays at the checkout as customers navigated carts around them on the floor. Pro-NRA counter-protesters also showed up at one store, and two men almost came to blows before police intervened.
“A lot of people don't support who Publix is supporting,” said Haylee Shepherd, a 15-year-old sophomore at Stoneman Douglas, who joined 13 fellow protesters on the floor for about 10 minutes at one of the stores. “It's going to reflect on them as a brand and people shopping there.”
Publix has been criticized by the students for supporting Agriculture Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam, a Republican who has called himself a “proud NRA sellout.” The activists have called for a boycott of the supermarket.
Publix announced this week that it would “re-evaluate” its donations amid the outcry. In another statement Friday, company spokeswoman Maria Brous said the chain would halt its contributions for now as it continues that reevaluation.
Senior David Hogg, one of the most vocal student activists for gun reform and one of the founders of March for Our Lives, helped organize the protest. It came a week after 10 were killed at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas, and the same day that authorities said an Indiana middle school student opened fire inside his science classroom, wounding
