Publix suspends political donations after Parkland students stage ‘die-in’ protests at supermarkets

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Demonstrators lie on the floor at a Publix Supermarket in Coral Springs, Fla., Friday, May 25, 2018. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

Florida supermarket chain Publix announced Friday it will stop donating money to gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam, who publicly supports the National Rifle Association, after several student activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School staged a "die-in" at two stores the same day.

Spokeswoman Maria Brous said the company would "suspend corporate-funded political contributions as we reevaluate our giving processes," in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.

The Florida chain has given $670,000 over the past three years to Putnam, who is currently the state's commissioner of agriculture, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Students from the Florida high school where 17 people were shot and killed earlier this year staged a "die in" protest at a supermarket chain that backs a gubernatorial candidate allied with the National Rifle Association. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The Republican candidate called himself a "proud #NRASellout!" in a tweet last July.

In the months following the Parkland, Fla., massacre, many companies cut ties with the NRA, including MetLife, and rental car companies like Hertz, Enterprise and Avis.

Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School students David Hogg (c.)  and Caspen Becher embrace after the demonstration. The staged "die-in" prompted Publix to “suspend corporate-funded political contributions." (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

Major gun sellers like Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart also bumped their age requirement on gun purchases from 18 to 21 after the school shooting.