‘Ottawa’ ‘Would you wear your dog?’ Local anti-fur activists take part in day of protests
About 20 anti-fur activists brought their message to Lansdowne Park on Saturday with a protest they called a fashion show.
The event was organized by the Ottawa Animal Defense League to mark Canada’s 28th National Anti-Fur Day. Similar protests were planned in cities across the country.
One of the protesters yelled through a megaphone at a man in a fur-trimmed parka who was walking by with a dog on a leash. “Would you wear your dog?” the woman with the megaphone yelled.
The protesters, wearing fur coats splattered with fake blood and carrying signs, strolled down their “runway” — a sidewalk on Bank Street in front of the Sporting Life store.
The fur clothing that protesters wore was donated, organizers explained in a media release.
Sporting Life sells jackets with hoods trimmed in coyote and fox fur.
“While we do sell a lot of products with fur, we also sell a lot of products without fur,” said Sporting Life manager Hank Shannon. “We have a broad range of products that cater to everybody in our society. And we’re very proud to be (in Ottawa). While we don’t necessarily share the views of the anti-fur protesters, we definitely respect their right to protest. That’s what makes our country amazing.”