Friday, July 25, 2008 WAR Visits Nepal Consulate Office and Continues Fur Protests Demo #1: Nepal Consulate Office Gateway to Hell and Stop Monkey Business Campaigns Recently, activists with Win Animal Rights became aware of the Stop the Monkey Business campaign being waged internationally to keep Nepal’s monkeys safe from export to the USA for use in animal experimentation. Internationally this is known as the “Gateway to Hell” campaign as these monkeys are currently being held in captivity in Nepal to satisfy orders from US biotech companies. For the captive Monkeys of Nepal, they are truly at the “gateway to hell”. For more information on this campaign visit: Protesters gathered at the Second Avenue office of the Consulate of Nepal. Activists were greeted by a gentleman who identified himself as the General Consul for the government of Nepal. He offered a photocopied document of a press release that had allegedly been posted by the government of Nepal, stating that no monkeys would be exported because Nepal was committed to the CITES agreement. An activist, who was participating in the protest, used a blackberry to show the Consul that rhesus monkeys were not covered by the CITES treaty. The question was also raised as to why the monkeys are being held in captivity if there was no plan on exporting them? The Consul did not offer an answer to this question. He continued to urge the activists to disband the protest, which of course did not happen. Flyers were distributed to many passersby and most promised to make their feelings known to the Consulate. An undercover officer monitored the protest from a not too discrete distance proving once again that WAR’s listserv is under surveillance by repressive law enforcement. Demo #2: Escada – Fifth Avenue Next stop was Escada’s flagship New York store on Fifth Avenue. After a short hiatus, it felt good to have fur signs and banners displayed for all to see in New York City trendy shopping mecca. Many asked why activists would protest fur in the heat of the summer with no fur in the store windows. The sad reality for fur bearing animals is that they are busy suffering and dying to become next seasons fashion accessory. That is why activists feel compelled to speak out for the furbearers in the summer season. Demo #3: Burberry - 57th Street Next stop was nearby Burberry, the target of a campaign by another national animal rights group. In solidarity, activists distributed literature detailing the selling of fur by Burberry. This could have been a one shot deal as activists were just passing by, but the behavior of the goonish store security ensured that activists will make this a regular stop on the anti-fur tour of New York City. Demo #4: Dennis Basso Fur Salon Saving the best for last, protesters withheld an ample amount of scorn and animosity for the perverts at Dennis Basso’s fur salon. As in years past, the vulgar display of the skins of once beautiful and alive creatures marks Basso’s storefront as a hideous reminder of his lack of morals and his depravity. Even shoppers who are not anti-fur agreed with activists that the display was in poor taste and over-the-top. Several mothers stopped with their children to explain why the activists held the pictures of mutilated and bloodied animals and all were horrified at the reality. |
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