Fur Free Friday – San Francisco, Calif.
Led by chants such as “Make compassion the fashion, don’t buy fur” approximately 30 demonstrators holding signs and banners protesting the fur industry marched around the stores bordering Union Square in San Francisco on Friday to mark the annual “Fur Free Friday”. Shoppers were educated on the cruelty of the fur industry as demonstrators handed out leaflets, while a body tv displayed undercover footage from inside fur mills.
People were also informed about the cruelty of fur production by an educational display within Union Square. An informative captioned photo board, donated fur coats, steel jaw traps and a large anti-fur banner drew passersby’s in, many of who were horrified to find out the reality of the fur industry.
Once again Fur Free Friday enabled compassionate and concerned people to speak up for the over 40 million victims of the fur trade raised in cages or trapped in the wild every year. Thank you to each individual person who raised their voice in the animals' defense and helped to influence others to make more compassionate choices in the future.
Fur Free Friday – Portland, Ore.
The drizzle didn’t dampen the spirits of around 100 activists in downtown Portland, Oregon who took over the streets during the annual Fur Free Friday March to educate shoppers not to support cruelty this holiday season. Heads turned as crowds of shoppers read signs and listened to the marchers chorus of voices, “Compassion is the fashion! Don’t buy fur!” On the sidewalks, passersby were given fur cards detailing the cruelty of the fur industry. Two local television stations attended the event and a radio station, bringing the message to a larger audience. The 1.5 mile, police-escorted march passed six downtown stores that sell fur including, Schumacher Furs, Nicholas Unger Furs, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Ave, Meier and Frank, and J. Crew. At each location, the marchers stopped and details were given about what happens to fur-bearing animals and what concerned consumers could do to encourage these businesses to make the right choice and stop selling fur. Activists have vowed to return to Schumacher Furs every Saturday until Christmas to keep the momentum going from this successful event.
Fur Free Friday –
Columbus, Ohio
On November 25, 2005 members of Mercy For Animals held a silent vigil against the violent and bloody fur industry outside Easton Town Center Mall. The protest marked Fur-Free Friday, a national day of action held the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year.
MFA members displayed signs, banners, and distributed literature describing how every year millions of animals are trapped, drowned, and beaten to death in the wild and gassed, strangled, and electrocuted on fur farms before being made into garments. Three caged fur-wearing activists illustrated the cruel conditions endured by animals on fur farms. Another MFA member wore a “body screen TV” which aired graphic footage depicting animal cruelty in the fur industry.
Click here to read the news release for this event.
Fur Free Friday – Beverly Hills, Calif.
Some 70 activists gathered in Beverly Hills where they marched past 29 stores that sell fur and fur trim in the Rodeo Drive shopping district. Two TV stations, one print outlet, and one radio station covered their event.
Fur Free Friday – Birmingham, Ala.
Members of Alabama Voice for Animals in Birmingham held a protest in front of Henig Furs to remind passersby of the suffering animals endure even for a bit of fur trim.
Fur Free Friday –
Chicago, Ill.
Some 120 people braved the harsh Chicago cold for our annual Fur Free Friday
March. Protesters chanted, held signs, banners and distributed literature
to packed crowds along Chicago's "Magnificent Mile." Activists stopped at
the numerous fur salons and department stores to voice their opposition to
the cruel fur trade and wrapped up the 2 hour march with free vegan hot
cocoa provided by the Chicago Soy Dairy.
Fur Free Friday - Denver, Colo.
http://denverpost.com/business/ci_3252917
Excerpt from “Wearing fur a faux pas, mall demonstrators say”
Faux fur that looks like the real thing is in again this holiday season, according to the 20 or so anti-fur protesters carrying signs in front of Neiman Marcus at Cherry Creek Shopping Center for "fur-free Friday." The protesters say they recently won a victory by persuading Nordstrom nationwide to sell only fake fur, not real fur. They want to persuade Neiman Marcus to do the same. Nordstrom carries the Fabulous-Furs line of fake fur designed to look real. A woman at Neiman Marcus in Denver referred questions about the store's fur sales to its Dallas headquarters, which was closed Friday. "If you want fur, there's no reason to torture animals to get it," said Ann Swissdorf, 62, a Rocky Mountain Animal Defense protester who was holding a "Fabulous People, Faux Fur" sign. "People have the misconception that we don't like people. I love babies. And I have empathy for animals." Advertisers seem to be promoting furs more than ever, even if customers don't buy them, said another Rocky Mountain Animal Defense protester, who declined to be named. In Denver, the group also pickets weekly in front of Marks-Lloyds Furs in Cherry Creek North, Swissdorf said.
Staff writer Beth Potter can be reached at 303-820-1503 or bpotter@denverpost.com.
Fur Free Friday – Washington, D.C.
The Associated Press ran photos of the Humane Society of the United States’ fur coat collection in Washington, D.C. The collected coats will be given to by wildlife rehabilitators who use the coats as bedding for animals in their care.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/051125/480/dcgh10211251906
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/051125/480/dcgh10111251903
Fur Free Friday –
Raleigh-Durham
21 participants with Carolina Animal Activists Together received great support for their message from passersby.
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Fur Free Friday – Palm Beach, Fla.
http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/content/news/shopping1126.html
Excerpt from “Island's sale day a subtle success”
Across the street at Neiman Marcus, which opened at its regular hour of 10 a.m., 13 protesters from the Fort Lauderdale-based Animal Rights Foundation of Florida gathered in front of the store entrance for a one-hour protest and march that began about noon.
This is the fifth year the group has picketed in front of Neiman's and along Worth Avenue sidewalks.
The protest was a silent one. No chanting or yelling was heard, as opposed to the vocal protests of previous years. Participants held up placards calling for an end to cruelty to animals whose fur is used in apparel. A large cardboard box designated as a place to donate old fur coats was set on the street in front of Neiman's.
"Neiman Marcus continues to sell fur and we want people to know that fur is cruel and unnecessary," said Heather Veleanu, managing director of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida. "We return to Palm Beach and to Worth Avenue each year because there is a lot of traffic passing by here and because many merchants here sell fur.
"Worth Avenue is a hot spot for fur," Veleanu said.
"We donate all furs collected in the box to wildlife organizations who use the furs as bedding for orphaned animals," said Veleanu, who added that two furs had been donated during the protest.
Fur Free Friday – Boston and Holyoke, Mass.
Demonstrations in Boston and Holyoke went very well. In Boston, over 50 activists braved the cold to stand up for the approximately 40 million animals killed brutally for fur each year in factory farms and cruel traps.
The Boston Herald and Globe were both there. The Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition thanks each and every person who attended and to everyone who gave interviews to the Herald.
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=114161&format
Excerpt from “Animal activists push Copley shoppers to shun fur”
The fur didn’t fly at Copley Place Mall yesterday, but strong words did as Bay State animal rights activists marked Black Friday by protesting the fusion of fur and high fashion.
“We are not cavemen anymore,” said protester Caroline Haigh, 21, of Milton. “We have alternatives. We are supposed to be progressing, not moving backward.”
Added Jackie Squeglia, 24, a protester from Woburn: “There is no excuse for fur. It’s insanely cruel.”
Yesterday’s demonstration, staged by the Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition, was a far cry from the scene last month in Paris, when an anti-fur fanatic pelted a pro-fur fashion editor with a cream pie.
“We are not there to be angry,” the coalition’s head Helen Rashick said on the eve of the Boston protest. “We are (going to be) out there asking people to reconsider buying fur and to do the right thing.”
Rashick worried most shoppers don’t realize they are buying real fur. “They have good hearts and they don’t want to hurt animals. They don’t know whether it’s faux or real,” she said, adding that manufacturers aren’t required to label clothing as fur unless it costs more than $150.
Demonstrators outside the mall at Dartmouth and Stuart streets appeared to be preaching to the choir, as most bystanders echoed their sentiments.
“I would never wear fur because I’m a vegetarian, and I would never eat or wear an animal,” said Deanna Withrow, 45, of Cambridge.
Fur Free Friday – St. Louis, Mo.
Excerpt from “Holiday shopping season revs up” http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13257563.htm
Not everyone was out shopping Friday. Colleen Tilford visited the Plaza Frontenac in St. Louis to do the same thing she has done every Black Friday for the last six years - protest the fur industry.
Tilford and about two dozen others held picket signs before the busy mall traffic, extolling shoppers to stay away from fur-trimmed items.
"We want to remind shoppers to shop compassionately," Tilford said. Protester Laura Kruming proved her point by shivering on the corner in nothing but her skivvies.
"It's symbolic," she said. Fur "is an animal's skin, so we should wear our own skins."
Fur Free Friday - San Diego, Calif.
Activists in San Diego gathered at Neiman Marcus at Fashion Valley Mall to urge shoppers to go fur free. Fox 6 showed up and covered the demo on the 11:00 news.
If you would like to submit photographs of your event, please e-mail them to
antifur@idausa.org.
IDA encourages compassionate people to take action throughout the fur season - not just on Fur Free Friday by holding film screenings and providing educational literature for distribution. If we can help you by providing posters, leaflets, fur cards or stickers, please e-mail
antifur@idausa.org.
Fur Free Friday -
Spokane, Washington.
Animal Advocates of the Inland Northwest shook things up in North Idaho and
Eastern Washington.
Fur Free Friday -
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Excerpt from "Protesters discourage fur purchases"
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=54034
As shoppers crowded Scottsdale Fashion Square on Friday, protesters outside the mall urged them to keep fur off their holiday shopping lists.
A group of about 20 animal welfare activists protested near Camelback and Scottsdale roads, holding posters and handing out pamphlets that decried the use of fur in fashion.
Given its upscale clientele, Scottsdale was a good place to target potential fur-buyers, said protesters who gathered to honor Fur-Free Friday, an annual demonstration that takes place across the country.
Fur was less popular for a while, but now it is coming back, said Christy Saint, 33, a member of the Animal Welfare Association, a student organization based at Arizona State University West.
"Maybe the protests have died down and people just aren’t as aware," she said, as a middle-aged couple pulled up to the corner in their vehicle and asked for more information.
Just minutes before, Saint said, other drivers had thrown trash at the protesters.
"We don’t live in caves; we’re civilized. We don’t really have to wear fur," said Ephy Skanopoulos.
