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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, pictured with Salesforce tower behind him, has called for gun control measures, following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Jessica Christian/The Chronicle
Salesforce employees are reportedly calling for the tech giant to stop doing business with the National Rifle Association in the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
More than 4,000 employees signed a letter demanding that the company stop selling its marketing products to the NRA,SFGate reported.
In 2019, Salesforce banned companies that sell automatic firearms, ghost guns, 3D printed guns and other types of weapons from buying its products. The company, which recently bought Slack, is San Francisco’s largest private employer. Salesforce didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Co-CEO Marc Benioff called for action on gun violence on Wednesday in aninterview with CNBCbut did not commit to specific actions.
“I think that you have to stand up for your values,” Benioff said. “What is important to you as a company? What is important to you as a CEO?”
“I think if you’re on the right side of your employees, you’re not going to have controversy,” he said. “They want to make sure we have their back.”
其他公司和公众人物是距离themselves from the NRA, whose annual convention started Friday in Houston.
Daniel Defense, maker of the gun used in the mass shooting,canceled plansto attend the convention. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also canceled plans to speak, and singer Don McLean backed out of performing, saying it would be “disrespectful” after a mass shooting. Singers Larry Gatlin, Lee Greenwood, T. Graham Brown and Larry Stewart also pulled out,USA Today reported.
The NRA said it would “pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure” after the Uvalde shooting, which left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Travel, hospitality and insurance companies have previously ended discount programs for NRA members in the aftermath of previous mass shootings, such as the one in Parkland, Fla., in 2018, in which 17 students and school staff were killed.
Retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods stopped selling guns at hundreds of stores after mass shootings, and Walmart stopped selling some types of guns. In 2019, a gunman killed 23 people in an El Paso Walmart.
Salesforcepreviously came under pressurefor its contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which sparked a protest at its Dreamforce convention in 2018 and hundreds of employees signing a letter opposing it. The company did not cancel the contract and said at the time it doesn’t work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or on family separation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email:roland.li@sfchronicle.comTwitter:@rolandlisf
