Moms Demand Action, Everytown Respond to Levi’s Policy Asking Customers to Leave Their Guns at Home

NEW YORK — Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the below statement from founder Shannon Watts in response to Levi Strauss & Co.’s request for customers to leave their guns at home:

“Levi’s invented blue jeans – and today they are not only reinventing what it means to wear jeans but also what it means to keep customers and employees safe in their stores, offices or facilities. This is common sense: No one should have to worry about their safety when shopping for jeans.

“Moms Demand Action volunteers have been the driving force behind encouraging major businesses – including Facebook, Starbucks, Target and Chipotle among others – to put safety first and adopt gun sense policies like prohibiting the open carry of firearms in the stores and restaurants where we shop and eat with our families.

“American consumers don’t want to walk through shops, malls and grocery stores wondering if fellow shoppers are armed. It’s time for all of us to take the necessary steps to prevent the gun violence that kills 91 Americans every day. And when elected officials fail to protect their constituents from gun violence, corporate leaders can – and should – stand up for public safety.”

Moms Demand Action previously launched petitions that garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures asking Target, Chipotle, Sonic, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Jack in the Box, Starbucks, Facebook and Instagram to reform the companies’ gun policies to make customers and communities safer.

• In response to months of pressure from Moms Demand Action, Facebook changed its policy to prohibit unlicensed sales on Facebook and Instagram.

• Target asked that its customers not bring their guns into its stores after nearly 400,000 Americans signed the Moms Demand Action petition.

• Sonic and Brinker International, which includes Chili’s Grill & Bar, released statements prohibiting the open carry of guns in their restaurants.

• Chipotle quickly responded to a Moms’ petition by asking customers to leave their guns at home, “because the display of firearms in our restaurants has now created an environment that is potentially intimidating or uncomfortable for many of our customers.”

• Jack in the Box also responded to the Moms’ petition by announcing that it would enforce a prohibition of guns in its stores, stating that, “the presence of guns inside a restaurant could create an uncomfortable situation for our guests and employees and lead to unintended consequences.”

• In addition, Panera proactively asked guests at its 1,800 baker-cafes in 40 states to leave their firearms at home after months of discussions with Moms Demand Action. More information on how Moms Demand Action has led the way on corporate responsibility on gun safety is available here.