Alyssa Milano among Hollywood activists urging Amazon to drop NRA channel
Social-media pressure is building on Amazon (AMZN) to cut its ties to the National Rifle Association in the wake of the high school shooting last week in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.
The online retailer and its CEO, Jeff Bezos, are being urged to stop allowing the streaming of NRATV on its platforms. Actress Alyssa Milano and Warren Leight, an executive producer of the TV show "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," are among those taking to Twitter, with the hashtag #StopNRAmazon trending on the platform.
NRATV, the gun advocacy group's online video channel, distributes three dozen original series through distributors including Amazon Fire TV. The channel also has partnerships with Apple TV and Roku, according to its website.
A little-noticed but critical forum for getting out the group's pro-gun views, the channel gives another voice to hosts and guests that are supportive of President Donald Trump, going after people and entities that Mr. Trump attacks, including the FBI. NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch this week suggested that people hold protests outside FBI offices.
Hosts on the channel often speak of leftist plots to confiscate weapons and media conspiracies to trick people into supporting gun control, and are willing to use racially divisive words in attacking Democrats and others viewed as being in the enemy camp.
NRATV correspondent Chuck Holton, for instance, tweeted about the need to "get busy scrubbing Obama's mocacchino stain off of America" after Mr. Trump's 2017 inauguration.
The appeals being made to Amazon are just one sign of celebrities' willingness to jump into the political fray over gun issues. Hollywood star George Clooney and his human rights activist spouse this week pledged $500,000 to fund a student "March for Our Lives" planned for March 24 in Washington.
Amazon did not immediately return requests for comment.
