Animal liberation weekend, Utrecht
Respect voor Dieren - 21.10.2009 21:54
Successful weekend of action against animal cruelty.
Friday: Day of action against fur
We started the day at Leder Paleis, on Achter Clarenburg, a macabre menagerie of dead animals. It is perhaps the shop selling the most fur in Utrecht so is a primary target for activists, and this was the third demonstration in recent weeks. Also visited were River Woods (a new target with 16 shops in the Netherlands), Pulls, Players, McGregor and The Society Shop. We received a lot of support from passers-by, many of whom were shocked that real fur is still on sale, and met some new activists from the Netherlands and abroad.
Saturday: Day of action against Image and animal rights information stand
Saturday saw the launch of a campaign against Image, a chain of five shops all in Utrecht. Shop assistants had recently admitted to the sale of real fur in three of the shops (and told us they disagreed with it) so we took to the streets to call for a boycott of all branches until a fur free declaration is released. Image tried to stop us demonstrating by removing the fur-trimmed coats and pretending they’d never sold fur, but sadly they couldn’t keep their story straight! One representative claimed they didn’t sell fur, but was contradicted by the manager of another store, who admitted “well… we do sell some fur”. The owner of the whole chain of shops claimed a right to sell fur and in an act of desperation attempted to discredit us by taking our flyers and rudely forcing them onto young children! As we predicted, the fur was back in the shop windows that same evening. To tell Image what you think about them selling dead animals and lying about it, or to give them some tips on common courtesy, please politely contact them on the numbers below:
Oudkerkhof 48 (selling fur): 030-7440073
Oudkerkhof 53 (selling fur): 030-2331490
Oudegracht 183 (outlet shop, selling fur): 030-2321050
Lijnmarkt 23: 030-2302703
Lijnmarkt 25: 030-2145706
In the afternoon, there was an animal rights information stand with flyers, magazines and recipe booklets, as well as free vegan food. Passers-by were offered pumpkin soup and chocolate cupcakes with lemon icing. Yum!
Sunday: Fighting speciesism and nationalism
On a sunny Sunday morning, after a brunch of vegan blueberry pancakes, we set off to Grand Hotel Karel V to show our disgust at their sale of foie gras – a product of the force-feeding of geese or ducks. With banners calling for “alle dieren vrij” (All animals free) and “animal liberation now”, activists giving out flyers at all three entrances to the hotel, and others lying “dead” on the ground, we reached many people – some of whom knew about foie gras and shared our revulsion, and others who were shocked that such a barbaric practice exists. A manager claimed that the foie gras was organic, and therefore not a problem. The geese must be elated that their force-feeding is organically done!
In the afternoon, members of Respect voor Dieren joined other activists for a solidarity demonstration at the detention centre Kamp Zeist, to support the migrants inside – imprisoned for an uncertain duration merely for not having the right papers – and to call for freedom of movement for all. Both speciesism and nationalism divide us into oppressors and oppressed, locking up and silencing the disempowered, splitting up families and treating certain lives as more valuable than others.
One struggle, one fight!
Animal liberation, human rights!
 E-Mail: info@respectvoordieren.nl  Website: http://www.respectvoordieren.nl
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