Brands are cutting ties with the NRA after student-led campaign

Morgan Sung
Updated

Companies are cutting ties with the National Rifle Association after Parkland students and gun control activists called for an end to their support. 

The hashtag #BoycottNRA topped Twitter's trends in the United States on Friday as a cybersecurity firm, six car rental companies, an insurance corporation, and a bank ended their partnerships with the NRA. 

SEE ALSO: Parkland shooting survivors call for a march on Washington, D.C.

Companies like Enterprise Rent-A-Car and MetLife previously offered discounts to NRA members, but have now terminated those programs. Although the companies didn't acknowledge #BoycottNRA in their announcements or take a stance on gun control, many did cite social media backlash as a reason to end their partnerships.

 

A spokesperson from the First National Bank of Omaha told the New York Times that "customer feedback" was a leading cause for the company to not renew their NRA Visa Card program. 

First National Bank of Omaha was one of the first companies to terminate their affiliation with the NRA. 

In only a few hours, several more companies reportedly jumped ship, including Hertz and Norton.

The move away from the NRA comes after the deadly massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14. Grieving students who survived the shooting have become passionate advocates for tighter gun control laws, and are leading the effort to end NRA-affiliated discounts. 

David Hogg, one of the Parkland students, asked FedEx why it hasn't cut ties with the organization yet. 

Amazon is also under pressure to end its relationship with the NRA. The e-commerce giant's streaming service carries NRATV, a show that recently published a controversial video claiming that "the mainstream media loves mass shootings."

The hashtag #StopNRAmazon is picking up steam on Twitter, as once loyal customers threaten to cancel their Prime memberships. 

Amazon and the NRA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch, who faced Parkland survivors during CNN's town hall on Wednesday, has not released a statement about #BoycottNRA. 

Two more major brands responded on Saturday morning. Both Delta Airlines and United Airlines issued statements noting that they'll be ending their group travel arrangements with the NRA.

Faced with a continuing exodus of corporate support, the NRA released a statement on Saturday afternoon. Here it is in full:

UPDATED Feb. 23, 9:02 p.m. EST with companies ending relationships with the NRA. 

UPDATED Feb. 24, 11:20 a.m. EST with tweets from Delta and United.

UPDATED Feb. 24, 5:48 p.m EST with the NRA's official statement.

Adam Rosenberg contributed reporting to this story.

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