Saturday, March 15, 2008

Protest Against the Canadian Seal Slaughter

Global Campaign against Escada Relentless

Demo #1: Fendi

WAR’s day of protest against the Canadian Seal Slaughter started at an unlikely location. Since Fendi’s Fifth Avenue store was selected as the meeting place, a short protest was held on general principle. Even though Fendi does not sell seal fur products internationally, they are such notorious scumbags that activists felt inclined to take advantage of the fact that they were meeting there. A strong and highly spirited protest was held before moving down the block to the first target.

Demo #2: Versace

Versace has long touted their use of seal fur for their designs. They use seal fur not only for traditional fashions like coats and jackets but they also use seal fur and skin for accessories and trinkets that serve no purpose other than greed and vanity. Activists stood strong along Fifth Avenue giving voice to their anger and rage at the slaughter of the innocents that will be happening soon. Many passersby stopped to look at the graphic signs showing before and after photos of the cute young baby seals and what they look like after their skin is brutally ripped off of their bodies, oftentimes while they are still alive and fully conscious. Shame on you Versace for enabling this slaughter to continue. 270,000 babies will die so that you can wallow in blood money.

Demo #3: Gucci

When activists arrived at the site of the Gucci store that they have protested at in the past, what they found was locked doors and a sign saying that Gucci had moved further up Fifth Avenue. As luck would have it, the new Gucci store is just meters away from the Escada store that is the site of weekly protests as part of the international campaign to stop Escada from selling fur. It was a beautiful day in New York City and the number of pedestrians on the street made it a perfect opportunity to educate New Yorkers and visitors alike to the horrors and the cruelty of the seal fur trade. Many stopped to voice their approval and support and many promised to boycott the listed fur salons until they straighten up and go cruelty free.

Demo #4: Escada

Activists could not in good conscience pass by the Escada store on Fifth Avenue without stopping to let them know how we feel about them. Escada is a company sliding down the slippery slope of mismanagement and financial instability. It was recently announced that they are in process of being sold to the highest bidder. No wonder their sales staff is so bored and disgruntled. They never have anything to do. The store is almost always empty and word on the street is that they may not last long. Activists will continue to return until Escada understands that….”There is no excuse, for animal abuse”.

At the tail end of the demo, an arrogant and elderly man with a tall much younger “escort” wearing fur, got a little too obnoxious as he passed protesters on the street. He quickly learned that it is not a good idea to lay hands on a protester when there are a dozen others standing nearby. What in the world was he thinking? “The fur on your collar, is blood on your hands”. Hopefully he and the vain ignorant witch he was with got the message.

Demo #5: Prada

Last stop of a full day of protest was the Prada shop on Fifth Avenue across from Escada. This has got to be one of the best spots along Fifth Avenue as the Prada store sits right next door to a very popular Abercrombie and Fitch store. As always, throngs of shoppers crowded the sidewalk in front of Abercrombie and presented a wonderful opportunity for outreach and education.

Loud voices were raised in spirited chants and “shout-outs” were done telling all that the slaughter of 270,000 baby seals on the ice floes of Canada was supported by the creeps at Prada. “Your greed, Your fault”….”Your vanity, Your fault”……”Your perversion, Your fault”. And perverted it is. Anyone that can look at the pictures of the innocent baby seals being bludgeoned and then skinned, under the horrified watching yes of their mothers, must be a sick twisted perverted monster. A full day of anti-fur protests left activists exhausted but feeling good about the number of people that were reached on the busy sidewalks of New York City.