| International Anti-Fur Coalition - People united to abolish the global fur trade |
November 28 2008 : First Worldwide Fur Free Friday
The first Worldwide Fur Free Friday took place at more than 100 locations around the globe.
Below can be read a few of the reports, listed in alphabetical order according to country/city.
Please contact an animal rights organization close to you, for up-to-date information on coming events you can join.
AUSTRALIA - Gold cost
Animal Saviors demonstration was held at the Tree Tops Shopping Center in Burleigh Waters, a suburb of the Gold Cost in the State of Queensland. A display table was set up right outside the Coles Supermarket where the amount of pedestrian traffic is at the maximum. The display consisted mainly of a poster on Worldwide Fur Free Friday and other posters depicting the horrors of the fur trade in China. The organization’s 2009 agenda and an outline of how it will fight the cat and dog fur trade in 2009,was provided to the public. Activists handed out several thousand leaflets on the horrors of the Chinese fur trade in the 2 weeks immediately preceding the display at Tree Tops. Several hundred signatures on petitions addressed to the Chinese government were collected.
AUSTRIA - Vienna
About 400 supporters of Verein Gegen Tierfabriken gathered outside the animal rights conference center in Vienna’s 13th district known as "Hietzing" for the first Worldwide Fur Free Friday. The lively group of demonstrators then went down the main street to the "fur house Hietzing", where they rallied. To avoid confronting the protesters, the "Fur House Hietzing" had closed some hours earlier. After a few speeches, the rally ended and the group dispersed. It was a very successful event.
BOLIVIA - Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Oruro, Sucre, Potosi, Tarija
ADDA-BOLIVIA coordinated the first Worldwide Fur Free Friday in Bolivia in a number of cities. In Cochabamba, some volunteers held fake skinned animals covered in fake blood, while others held large posters depicting the cruel acts perpetuated against animals. Furs were thrown into a fake fire. A manikin with a cruel face held a sign that read "I represent people who torture animals, that are skinned alive for fashion".
At the end of the protest, the manikin was covered with fake blood, kicked and smashed ; representing all the pain and suffering inflicted upon animals as a result of the pathetic attitude humans have towards animals. By the end of the protest passers-by had joined in the demo.
ADDA-BOLIVIA had fantastic coverage for the first protest in the history of Cochabamba.
BRAZIL - São Paulo, Porto Alegre
In São Paulo city, activists from Holocausto Animal group remained for over four hours distributing five thousand leaflets and displaying banners, while three of the protesters sat in cages. As the crowd observed, Fabio Paiva, Holocausto leader took the opportunity to destroy a natural fur coat saying, "This fur in my hand is pretty only when covering the body of a living animal. In the form of a coat, it is not luxury, it is just trash". The Worldwide Fur Free Friday protest received prominence in the press. In Porto Alegre, the presentation of the demonstrators was amazing. The Holocausto leader ended the event by inviting all of the public to the next demonstration, that will be against China, to be held on February 13th, 2009. São Paulo slideshow
BRAZIL - Recife
Activists of ADA gathered at the city’s biggest mall (Shopping Center Recife) at the rush hour peak, before going to stores selling fur. Bloody activists and posters on the floor caught the attention of customers. The scene captured the attention of a large public crowd and many of mall’s security guards too. Many of the people who were passing by and accepting the leaflets showed an interest in taking a stand against fur. The topic interested them and they congratulated the demonstrators on taking action. Many upon finding out about the bloody fur trade wanted to learn more. The activists , also condemned stores inside the mall which sold fur. Despite the peaceful protest, security guards did everything in their power to make the activists leave. The demo called public attention to the fur trade, it’s commercialization and use. The mall managers know that a lot of people are aware of the reality behind the fur trade.
CANADA - Montreal
The Worldwide Fur Free Friday demo took place in downtown Montreal. Aequo Animo handed out leaflets during the lunch hour. The leaflets informed passersby about trapping and fur farms in addition to the fact that cats and dogs in Asia are killed for their fur which is then sold in Quebec. Aequo had achieved its goal of distributing hundreds leaflets. Some of the public said they never wear fur but one passerby yelled that fur is ecological and biodegradable ! How could that be, considering all the dyeing and toxic byproducts dumped into the environment in fur production ? And what about the pollution that fur farming generates ? But most importantly, in the name of ethical values should this (alleged) biodegradable product have precedence over sentient beings ?
CANADA - Ottawa
For the Worldwide Fur-Free Friday event that was held in Ottawa, a decent number of people attended the protest organized by Ottawa Animal Advocates, considering it was the very first rally ever and also due to the cold weather. About twenty people spoke for the voiceless but they were a lively group. They were very vocal and had the CBC, which is the national television media, attend the demonstration to record it on video. Unfortunately they didn’t receive an interview, but the "Ottawa Animal Advocates" activists did get a little air time on the six o’clock news. Tanya Halvorson had a banner with all the demo locations listed. Sue Manns had a banner of a horrified fur wearer with a leg-hold trap and a coyote leg attached. Ottawa Animals Advocates reports that they had learned a lot from their first, but surely not their last Fur-Free Friday, and that they’ll be back more vocal than ever for the animals.
CANADA -Toronto
About 35 people attended the Worldwide Fur Free Friday event in Toronto organized by LOV (Liberty Over Violence). The event consisted of a funeral procession type march in some of the busiest areas of downtown Toronto. Activists had fake bloodied animals, brand new signs, lanterns and a Grim Reaper draped in dirty, bloodied fur pelts leading the way. Protesters chanted and someone on a megaphone educated the public on the horrors of the fur industry and the "fur is green" myths. The march ended at The Bay,where the activists stayed for another 30 minutes.
CANADA - Vancouver
Despite the horrible weather, CATCA activists marched to Snowflake, Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores that sell fur. Two grim reapers got the attention of the public.
CHILE - Santiago
The Fur Free Friday demonstration organized by CDA was successful. First, activists protested in front of Mor, afterward they moved to Todopiel (in English : "Allfur"). People as usual showed support against fur. At the second store, 3 girls did a performance, dressed only in banners against fur. After half an hour, police arrived to arrest people because the store wanted to make trouble (they had received a lot of attacks in the past). Four innocent people were arrested and are now facing charges for "property destruction". But, fortunately their innocence can be demonstrated in a trial.
CHILE - Vina del Mar
For the Worldwide Fur Free Friday, Animalismo V activists were 5 blocks away from a leather and fur jacket store. Around 20 people showed up, 2 had their bodies painted and another girl wore a synthetic "fur" coat and a "dead fox" she hand-made. They started chanting and protesting. After 20 minutes, the police arrived but as there were not so many people around the store, Animal V activists decided to head to the mall. They spent about 4 hours there giving out fliers. There they enjoyed the absence of police presence.
A large sector of the public was informed as this mall is the only shopping center in town.
CHINA - Hong Kong
The Fur Free Friday turn out was much larger than expected. This year, activists showed up to help hand out the brochures by the International Anti-Fur Coalition. The targeted retail store locked their doors for the time that the protesters were outside. The following three groups had helped with either spreading the word about the event or for volunteering to give out brochures : Animals Asia Foundation (who indicated an interest in working together in the future), SPCA Asia Pacific and Lamma Animal Protection (LAP).
FRANCE - Paris, Nice
Fourrure Torture conveyed Worldwide Fur Free Friday in France by setting up an information stand in Paris and by holding a demonstration in Nice.
Despite the rain, more than 30 demonstrators gathered in front of a Louis Vuitton’s shop located in Nice, as they often use fur in their winter collections.
An activist representing death as well as signs with pictures showing animals skinned alive, forced passers-by to question themselves about the fate of fur animals.
An information stand was set up in the center of Paris, with videos showing the shady sides of the fur industry.
Many passers-by gave their support by signing the "Fourrure Torture" petitions, asking to stop the fur trade.
GREECE - Athens, Thessaloniki
Three large posters had been displayed in the center of Athens and Thessaloniki 2 days before the event.
In Athens, Psychanimal members participated in the morning and the evening events of Green Party and Pofyzo, giving out leaflets.
In Thessaloniki, Psychanimal was invited by Argos Animal Welfare and Green Party to join them in the event at the town center. Psychanimal had it’s own stand and around 10 demonstrators informed passers-by and handed out fliers and badges that read "clothes should be animal friendly not animal harming" to thank people who did not wear fur. Those who did, generally felt ashamed or provoked. In a performance, a prayer was said by the parents of small seal before being killed by hunters. This scene impressed a lot of people. A video projection from Argos Animal Welfare was shown, which evoked awareness to a large sector of the public about the fur Industry.
Anti-fur banners in Greek had been sent to every organization that has a web site to announce the event. An Animal rights Toolbar listing anti-fur organizations of International Anti-Fur Coalition.
GREECE - Thessaloniki
For Worldwide Fur Free Friday, Argos Animal Welfare Society held the first anti-fur event in Thessaloniki. The location was a pavement in the center of the town, where most of the biggest shops are situated. A video projector with a big screen showed the true face of fur with videos shown by International Anti-Fur Coalition, PETA, Anti-Fur Society and other organizations. A volunteer dressed up as a polar bear with “blood” and about 20 other volunteers gave out leaflets informing the public. Two announcement boards with many posters of the International Anti-Fur Coalition, many of them translated in Greek, showed the disaster of fur. About 3000 leaflets were handed out. A TV channel and 3 radio stations covered the event. At least 3 of the biggest Thessaloniki newspapers wrote articles about the event, one of them receiving almost a full page. The week before the event, about 1000 big posters were put all over the center of the town. The event was held in cooperation with the Green Party and Psychanimal. It was surprising to see how many people stopped to encourage and congratulate the activists, some of them were already aware about the cruelty behind the fur trade. Though it was a very cold evening, the volunteers were very enthusiastic and everybody agreed that a bigger event will be held next year !”
GREECE - Veria
This year, the Animal Welfare Association of Imathias joined the International Anti-Fur Coalition for Worldwide Fur Free Friday, in solidarity with more than 100 cities worldwide. A funeral for fur was performed in the shopping center of Veria where they placed some candles around the fur. Activists handed out more than 200 leaflets to the public. A stand was set up in order to give out information on fur and its barbaric methods. Banners and posters from global anti-fur organizations were used. Many people passing by stopped to see what was going on. In general, they were interested, as they were totally unaware about truth behind the fur trade. There was a great feeling of satisfaction about this event here in Veria. Two local newspapers came and took some pictures and published an article the day after.
IRELAND - Dublin
CAFT Ireland/NARA held 3 very loud and successful demonstrations in Dublin. Protesters were outside Rohu Furs, Sydney Vard Furriers and Barnardo Furs, spending over an hour at each location. Hundreds of leaflets were handed out , and nobody received any hassle whatsoever from the police or passers-by.
IRELAND - Dublin
Members of Aliberation and AFAR held a public education outside Barnado Furriers shop, in Dublin.
Barnado Furriers are notorious for profiting from animal exploitation since 1812 and they show no remorse whatsoever for dealing with such a barbaric trade. For Barnado Furriers, the life of a mink equals a soft handbag, the life of a fox equals a fluffy scarf, the life of a Persian lamb equals a shiny coat.
From 4.30pm until closure of the shop, facts on the fur trade were chanted as loud as we could to alert the public to the monstrosity of such an industry.Those who couldn’t join us on Friday were able to participate the following day in the public education on the fur trade, outside the same fur shop, an event that we hold every Saturday for the whole afternoon.
From 2pm to 6pm, activists held an info table on the fur trade, while other activists were engaged in a public education. The public were made aware of the facts and could then go to the stall to sign the petition to close Irish fur farms.
ISRAEL - Tel-Aviv
Israel joined in the over 100 locations worldwide as the enlightened on the planet took a united stand against the evil fur trade.
A fur shop closed for the day, minutes after over 80 activists came to demonstrate against fur, on a main street across the road from one of Israel’s classiest shopping centers.
The demonstrators stood holding posters and presentations about the fur trade. All sectors of the media came to report, TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Many drivers gave ’the thumbs-up’ and honked their horns in agreement and many called out in amazement that there remain barbarians that continue to buy ’real’ fur ! Passersby and even the ’police support’ came up to us to get information and take leaflets that told the facts about animals being skinned alive,all in the name of ’fashion fur’. An important point that had many shocked was that they could have bought fur products completely unaware of the fact ; like in fur trims on boots, bags, and even the ’fur’ toys and dolls that they buy for their pets and children. These cheap products made from scraps of real fur are purposely mislabeled as being ’fake’. People were horrified to learn that the toy they bought for their pet cat was most likely made from another cat ; tortured and murdered !
ITALY - Milano, Rome, Forlì, Bologna, Caserta, Genova, Varese
In Italy, 7 cities joined Worldwide Fur Free Friday with 9 demos at Max Mara and Max&co shops. The demos organized by Campagna AIP were successful and active. In Genova, about 20 people gathered in front of Max Mara and then Max&Co, with almost no customers going into the shops for the whole time of the demo.
In Milano the demo took place on Friday, first at the Norwegian embassy and then at 2 Max Mara shops, with protesters managing to get there despite heavy snow blocking the city. The police asked if the demo was still on, but of course the activists were there !
MEXICO - Mexico city
Activists from AnimaNaturalis demonstrated against fur and leather for Worldwide Fur Free Friday. Their skin, jackets and coats were covered with red paint to show the cruelty involved behind leather and fur. The activists were holding banners saying “Animals need their fur, you don’t”, “Fur is dead”, “Leather is dead skin”, “Fashion victim” and they simulated a catwalk in front a department store which sells fur. Other activists handed out leaflets to people passing by and car drivers ; still others explained on a megaphone what’s wrong with the leather and fur industries. The media covered the demo for newspapers, international agencies and TV.
NETHERLANDS - Amsterdam
Bite Back held a protest at the PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam. This street is famous for the rich people that shop there. There are a lot of stores selling fur. Also the Max Mara store is there. Bite Back did the protest in front of the Max Mara store and received a lot of media coverage (an interview on the radio from a local radio station the day before, and on the day of the action there were about 8 photographers from dutch papers and news agencies). The demo was mentioned on a variety of news websites and websites of newspapers. During the protest the public gave a lot of positive reactions, despite the fact that a lot of the public wear fur too. Some of them ignored us or ran away. There were also people who didn’t know that they were wearing real fur. After the protest at Max Mara activists went on to walk through the city and with three activists dressed up in costumes, they drew the attention of the public.
NETHERLANDS - Rotterdam
About 50 activists of Dieren Helpen in Azie ( Helping Animals in Asia), including politicians from the Animal Rights and the Socialist Party, joined the Worldwide Fur Free Friday demo. Most of them were dressed in black, and wore an arm band of mourning, to emphasize their grief for all the fur animals that are caged and killed. They carried a banner with the slogan : "400 million fur animals sacrificed each year for your fur collar." Four people wearing tall black hats carried a cage that was filled with plush animals. All of the other participants walked behind the cage, holding signs with animal pictures and slogans
The successful and peaceful "funeral march" started from the "Schouwburgplein" and continued through the streets of Rotterdam (which was the perfect location, as the city’s name means : "City of Fur Collars !") to the "Beursplein". Almost 70% of the population, there,wear fur. A camera team from the Dutch General Newspaper (Algemeen Dagblad) and a photographer from another paper, De Volkskrant, joined in the action. At the "Beursplein", Angelique Bolk gave great speech about fur, on behalf of the Animal Rights Party. Next, Ivy Oostrum of Help the Animals in Asia, spoke about how fake fur can actually be real fur. After reading the fliers : some people started to cry spontaneously once they realized that the fur collar of their coat could actually be real dog or cat fur.
Some people thought that real fur was no longer sold in the Netherlands : the general public is not very well informed on this matter. Consumers are often deceived by the labels on products imported from China that usually mention ’faux’-fur while the truth can only be detected by performing an expensive DNA test in combination with other tests.
PAKISTAN - Multan
Animal Save Movement Pakistan celebrated Worldwide Fur Free Friday. This anti-fur day had been an opportunity to celebrate animal life and humankind’s special relationship with animals. It was a fruitful gathering at which many school children, social workers, teachers, lawyers and political workers participated. All participants took an oath to protect the welfare of animals and to continue peaceful campaigns against cruelty to animals. ASMP took an oath also that they will not use leather and fur gloves, jackets, caps, hats and shoes. ASMP continues to strive for the day when no animals and/or birds will live in fear or pain. They have been working for animals a long and will continue their efforts to reach their vision ; to help in building a prospective society through animal welfare where the co-existence of human and animal is symbiotic” according to Khalid Mahmood Qurashi, President of Animal Save Movement Pakistan.
PERU - Lima
The first Fur Free Friday was held in Lima Peru, against the use of fur, with an information stand and a performance to show people the truth about this industry. APDA organized an information stand in the Miraflores District, in Lima City where two international stores and Peruvian stores sell fur products. At the stand, posters with animals killed for the fur industry caught the attention of passers-by. Activists conveyed information about the fur industry in Peru and other countries. Catalogs of the International Anti-Fur Coalition translated into Spanish were proposed.
The response from the public was great and the guest book was filled with comments from people by the end of the day.
A mock funeral was held for Vilma, a cow, and a victim of the fashion world, used for leather in clothes production. Close to Vilma there were also seals, dogs, cats, sheep, etc. and also a wardrobe with animals hanging in it.
RUSSIA - Moscow
A brilliant and lively demo was led by Alliance for Animal Rights at Moscow’s shopping center "Ohotnij rjad". From a balcony they hung a large banner reading ; "Fur is fear, pain, and death" with the bloody paw print of a fox. After this, activists scattered leaflets and laid down in front of the fur shop "Furs" - their hands colored in red paint and clamped in traps. They represented the torturing of animals in the fur industry. The security guards had tried to remove the activists, but peaceful protesters sat down on a floor. As a result security guards put in them handcuffs and had them taken away to await the militia arrival. After a three hour detention, activists had been released, having made reports on the unapproved action. The event generated great interest in the numerous visitors at the shopping center. The same day banners against fur were hung out near the trading center at Konkovo and near the Kazanskaya Square. In the evening animal activists visited shops carrying the "Escada" and "Max Mara" brands demanding that they stop selling fur. The Moscow activists had chosen to join Fur-Free Friday, as many people in Russia shop on this day.
Activists of the Russian movement "Alliance for Animal Rights" urged the public not to purchase clothes and accessories made of fur. The activists aim was to inform about the cruelty of the fur industry and on alternatives which successfully replace fur. Activists of "Alliance for Animal Rights" initiated a series of protest actions at the largest shopping centers in Moscow, where fur products were exposed. Actions included distribution of leaflets to visitors, the posting of banners, and performances about animal suffering in the fur industry.
SLOVAKIA - Presov
The Worldwide Fur Free Friday event took place from 2pm to 7pm on a main street in Presov. During the demonstration activists from Priatelia Zvierat handed out many leaflets and informed people passing by. There were many posters and movies were shown about the fur trade.
SLOVENIA - Ljubljana
The Worldwide Fur Free Friday in Slovenia that had been organized by Za zivali took place in front of a furrier’s shop at Ljubljana city center. There were numerous people passing by in addition to many journalists and photographers. The Slovenian national TV even came to cover the protest.
SOUTH AFRICA - Rosebank
FourPaws organization reports a very successful Worldwide Fur Free Friday with coverage in the Sunday Times, in the Rosebank Gazette, in the Citizen and possibly in People’s Magazine. The protest was filmed and the president of FourPaws gave a very long interview. A whole story about the fur trade will be broadcasted next year. There were over 120 protesters and many fliers were given out to the public. This demonstration had definitely created awareness, one of the most important things needed in order to stop the fur trade. "Most people have no idea what it is about ! If more people understood the horrors of the fur trade, more people would boycott fur, and the shops that sell fur. " said the president of FourPaws.
SPAIN - Barcelona
AnimaNaturalis reports a successful Worldwide Fur Free Friday in Spain. At the demonstration, four activists modeled bloody fur coats in front of a shop that sells lot of fur. Meanwhile, others distributed several hundreds of leaflets and displayed footage from fur farms on a TV Screen.
The action had good coverage as some of the most known newspapers in Spain reported on the demonstration. TV reporters came to do interviews, as well.
SWITZERLAND - Geneva
Mission completed for Worldwide Fur Free Friday in Geneva, Switzerland. Stop Animals Genocide activists had set up a stall with posters and documents. The public was shocked to learn of the atrocities in the fur trade. SAG called on coordinators from all over the world to continue the effort to change the attitude of people who wear fur and to stop the bloody fur trade.
U.K - London
CAFT protesters took part in Fur Free Friday in London. They had such a good turnout that the activists decided to split up into groups to cover as many shops as possible. Activists kept up the protest throughout the day outside Harrods department store, the only department store in the UK still selling fur. Hundreds of leaflets were given out by activists holding placards and banners to expose Harrods’ involvement with the fur trade.
Meanwhile a second group of protesters held a mobile protest, visiting various stores belonging to Joseph Ltd, another one of the usual campaign targets, since they have 15 shops throughout London. As it was a special day CAFT decided to pay a visit to some branches they hadn’t been to for a while. One branch of Joseph in west London claimed they didn’t sell fur, but this was hard to believe as all the other Joseph shops sell fur, and they sell the same collection. The fur could be seen in the shop, but the protesters weren’t allowed to check whether it was real.
As more protesters turned up later in the day, CAFT decided to split up even further into 3 groups ; and so besides holding further protests at other branches of Joseph Ltd, one group decided to go international and support the global campaign against Max Mara, they went to hold protests at Max Mara on Bond St, as well as Marina Rinaldi (which is owned by Max Mara) also on Bond St.
As darkness fell early on a cold winter late afternoon, all three groups of protesters met up back at Harrods for the last voicing of protest for the day, before going off for well earned refreshments. All in all a very productive Fur Free Friday, with protests at 8 different stores during the day.
URUGUAY - Montevideo
Worldwide Fur Free Friday in Uruguay had been organized by Animal Help. Members of other organizations also participated, such as UVVU Uruguayan Vegan Union, Liberación Animal with a large banner, Revolución de la Cuchara and AnimaNaturalis. The event was covered by channel 12. Since TV channels were present, activists talked against slaughter houses and about animal rights.
Many people stopped in interest, took photographs with their cell phones, and some recorded videos. As all the activists involved against the fur industry were vegans or vegetarians, a feeling of brotherhood emerged among them based on the same moral principles. The demonstrators announced their thoughts against the fur industry via loud speaker.
USA - Beverly Hills
Last Chance for Animals and IDA sponsored an anti-fur march down Rodeo Drive. About 75 activists participated. The event began with opening remarks that included a speech by actress Laura Nativo. The event was video taped by professional videographer Sandra Mohr. Sandra documented the entire march and interviewed a number of people. The march stopped in front of Juicy Couture to thank them for their recent fur free pledge. The march was peaceful and police-escorted.
U.S.A - Chicago
ADL reports a successful Fur Free Friday, though less people showed up. There were about 100 people. It was vocal and made a presence for the cause.
U.S.A - Denver
Coalition For Fur Free Colorado reports a great Fur Free Friday demo in Denver (Cherry Creek). It was a beautiful dry sunny day. The local police officers were wonderful, helpful and respectful. Everyone was very happy and a few even promised to join us for the weekly Saturday anti-fur demos. One store will be closing soon, Hamilton’s, so activists stopped by there for a few minutes on their way from Neiman Marcus to Marks Lloyds. Protesters sang a verse of Queen’s "Another One Bites The Dust" and did a little dance ! They handed out almost 200 leaflets in a little less than 3 hrs. It was the best Fur Free Friday ever !
U.S.A - New York
Fur Free Friday goes global. WAR participates in First Annual Worldwide Fur Free Friday
The first protest of the day was scheduled for Escada on Fifth Avenue. Escada has been the site of numerous protests in the past 15 months and is the target of an international campaign. When activists arrived at Escada, they found, not yet erected barricades, lining the sidewalk, in front of the store front.
Activists raised their signs and their voices and began chanting and distributing literature. Police insisted that they had to erect the barricades prompting activists to insist that they would just leave and come back later.
Following the Escada protest, activists traveled along Fifth Avenue spending time in front of each of the most heinous fur purveyors on the Avenue. At each location, activists were able to get close to shoppers in order to have conversations with them, to explain the horrors of the fur industry.
Many had questions about the sustainability and the environmental impact of fur having heard the industry advertising campaigns which promote fur as green and eco-friendly. Protesters were happy to set the record straight and to explain the devastating environmental degradation caused by the fur tanning process.
Protests were held at the following:Escada ,Roberto Cavalli, Fendi, Pucci, Armani, Saks Fifth Avenue, Escada #2, Prada
USA - Portland
Portland’s Fur Free Friday March organized by In Defense Of Animals was a huge success with more than 150 advocates attending - one of our largest turnouts ever ! IDA activists kicked off the event outside Nordstrom’s downtown location with a "bloody fur fashion show." Like so many Cruella Devilles, participants in this street theater paraded one by one down the red carpet, draped in ugly fur garments, while the announcer educated passersby about the brutality of the fur industry.
Then protesters took to the streets for a police-escorted march past all the downtown stores that sell fur with spirited chanting, drumming and occasional performances from the "Radical Cheerleaders" doing anti-fur cheers.
The marchers stopped at Nicolas Ungar Furs, Macys and Saks Fifth Ave, where Matt Rossell described some of his horrific experiences working undercover on a fox farm in Illinois, and urged shoppers to make this a compassionate holiday season by not buying fur. The march also stopped near the former location of Schumacher Furs, a 112 year-old fur salon that recently closed their doors forever after 18 months of weekly IDA-organized demonstrations outside their store.
Another stop was the mall where Juicy Catoor has a storefront, where the demonstrators publicly thanked them for their pledge to go fur free just as IDA was poised to launch a campaign against them this fur season. They ended in a downtown park and after a short rally, celebrated with vegan cake from Sweet Pea Bakery.
USA - San Francisco
Over thirty activists of IDA leafleted in San Francisco’s busy Union Square. Advocates educated shoppers at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macys, Louis Vuitton, and Neiman Marcus.
U.S.A - Washington DC
The Anti-Fur Society, The Humane League of Baltimore, Defending Animal Rights Today & Tomorrow, Compassion For Animals, RabbitWise, Inc. gathered for the first Worldwide Fur Free Friday starting at Andriana Furs, they passed by Lord and Taylor, spend a good amount of time in front of Bloomingdales, then proceeded to Neiman Marcus where activists stayed a long time.Then went on towards Saks Fifth Avenue, stopping by Max Mara. The protesters level of energy was unbelievable. There was about one policeman per protester. This was by far the best demonstration in Washington D.C..
Venezuela
