Tens of thousands of people have signed a new Change.org petition demanding that The Beach Boys cancel their upcoming Wednesday concert at a convention in Reno, Nevada that many say honors trophy hunting.
The convention, run by Safari Club International, has been widely criticized for glorifying the killing of bears, lions, bald eagles, chimpanzees, parrots, and turtles as “trophies” for hunters.
The petition, which has 55,000+ signers and climbing, is one of the most popular petitions on Change.org this week and has drawn the endorsement of Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, founding members of The Beach Boys. The Beach Boys currently tour with two members, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston.
“This organization supports trophy hunting, which both Al and I are emphatically opposed to,” Brian Wilson tweeted on Monday afternoon. “There’s nothing we can do personally to stop the show, so please join us in signing the petition.”
The petition was started by Eduardo Goncalves 5 days ago as word spread that The Beach Boys would be playing the convention. The convention will also host Donald Trump Jr as a keynote speaker, who was recently criticized for killing a rare endangered sheep in Mongolia in what many saw as a “trophy kill”.
Fans of The Beach Boys are leaving comments on the petition urging the band to reconsider and pull out of Wednesday’s show:
“I support animal rights, and I support Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, who represent the true embodiment of the Beach Boys. Love and mercy, guys, from a huge fan,” writes Chris Bell from Pennsylvania.
“Very disappointing to hear America’s Band is condoning this,” writes Don Breen from Florida.
“It’s incredibly disappointing that they are even considering performing at such an event. If they go forward, they will lose many fans, including me,” writes Kirsten Dunne from Illinois.
You can find out more about the petition here.
