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Florida:
One of the most visible Parkland activists is calling for a “die in” at Publix supermarkets Friday to protest its donations to gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam, whose pro-gun stance gets him a top rating from the National Rifle Association.

David Hogg, who helped galvanize the “March for Our Lives” movement after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, told his 799,000 Twitter followers on Wednesday they should “die in” at Publix stores. It entails lying on the ground inside supermarkets for 12 minutes at 4 p.m. Friday. Company officials couldn’t be reached late Wednesday to comment on whether protesters would be forced to leave, or arrested if they protest inside Publix stores. But a spokeswoman’s statement Wednesday said the company is concerned about the controversy the donation set off.

Nicole Krauss, Publix spokeswoman, wrote in an email that the company has a history of supporting candidates focused on job growth and a healthy Florida economy. “We regret that some of our political contributions have led to an unintentional customer divide instead of our desire to support a growing economy in Florida”.

“As a result of this situation, we are evaluating our processes to ensure that our giving better reflects our intended desire to support a strong economy and a healthy community.”

It also said the vast majority of the company’s “giving is focused on organizations whose mission supports youth, education, and the plight of the hungry and homeless within our area of operation.

In his tweet, Hogg references two local Publix supermarkets, an apparent reference to the Parkland Publix, as well as a Publix a few blocks west of Stoneman Douglas, in Coral Springs.

Retweets and “likes” were climbing into the thousands within hours after Hogg tweeted about the “die-in” idea. Many of the tweeted responses, though, seem to indicate strong support for Publix, or reflected just how much of a lightning rod for controversy Hogg has become.

By Lokesh