Gun control group takes aim at Chipotle

Gun control activists backed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are pressing Chipotle to ban guns from the burrito chain’s stores, after proponents of open-carry rights brought their weapons into a Dallas-area location over the weekend.

The group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America launched a national petition Monday, calling on Chipotle CEO Steve Ells to prohibit firearms in its restaurants.

{mosads}“We support the Second Amendment but we also need to feel safe and secure in the places we take our children,” said Shannon Watts, the group’s founder. “In states where no background checks or training are required to buy semi-automatic rifles and carry them openly in public, businesses have a duty to protect their employees and patrons.”

Gun owners in Texas are allowed to openly carry their firearms in public, and regulations in the Lone Star State are not expected to change any time soon.
 
Advocates pressing for tougher gun control restrictions, faced with a difficult road in many states — and in Washington — are increasingly putting pressure on corporations to crack down on gun owners.

The Chipotle campaign follows similar efforts targeting Starbucks, Jack in the Box and Facebook.

Bloomberg announced last month that he would pour at least $50 million into a new “Everytown for Gun Safety,” an umbrella organization including the Moms group, along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns.