Advocacy group stages protest at Target HQ over donations flap

Target protest
Jacob Reitan (left), Randi Retan (middle) and Philip Reitan (right) share their concerns with Target representatives while helping deliver boxes containing a petition and 240,000 signatures of people that plan to boycott the retail giant.
MPR Photo/Tim Pugmire

The liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org continued its criticism of Target Corporation's recent political donations Friday by staging a protest at the company's headquarters in downtown Minneapolis.

Protesters delivered a petition signed by more than 240,000 people who plan to boycott the retail giant. Target's CEO apologized to employees on Thursday for the dustup caused by a $150,000 donation to a group backing Republican Tom Emmer for governor.

Jacob Reitan of Eden Prairie says Emmer is anti-gay, and the petition is aimed at convincing Target to stop making political contributions.

"I think when corporations, in light of this new law, start giving politically; it sets us down on a very dangerous road," Reitan said. "My money shouldn't be going to support politicians, as a consumer."

Brad Wagner of Target's diversity team told protesters that the company is sorry about the controversy. Wagner said Target remains committed to diversity and inclusion.

"What I can tell you is that going forward we are also committed to making sure we do things better, that we have a system set up for a vetting process as we make these contributions," Wagner said.

Protesters said they want Target and other corporations to stop making the political contributions that are now allowed under a recent Supreme Court ruling.