Outrage is mounting on Twitter after the theater chain Cinemark asked victims of the Aurora shooting to pay for its legal fees. More than two dozen victims of the Aurora shooting had filed a civil suit against Cinemark, alleging that the movie theater could have done more to prevent the shooting. A six-person jury ruled in favor of Cinemark, saying the theater chain wasn’t partially liable for the 2012 mass shooting by James Holmes that killed 12 people and injured 70 others. Colorado law allows the winner of a suit to then seek compensation for their legal costs, which in this case was $699,187.13 for mock trial costs, docketing, experts, and filing fees. Cinemark reported their most recent quarterly earnings as $704.9 million.
People on social media have tweeted their dismay and fury at such a move, including California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom:
With the long weekend approaching, many people are tweeting that they’ll be going to the movies — just not at a Cinemark theater — with the hashtag #BoycottCinemark.
There’s nothing like a good boycott to celebrate our nation’s independence.