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On
May 17, 2005, a day before Columbia University’s 251st Commencement,
Dr. Charles Patterson, author of
Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust,
returned his doctorate to the Office of the President to protest Columbia's
ongoing mistreatment of animals in its labs...
In
this issue:
-
Bloody Make-up of Max Factor
-
All Animals Have the Same Parts
-
Youth Associations Fair
-
Eternal Treblinka in KIC
-
P&G Bloody Products
-
Protest Against the Notorious Circus Gärtner
-
World Ocean Day
-
Flash News
Bloody Make-up of Max Factor
On
April 21, 2005, seven female AFC activists walked at noon across Zagreb
main square wearing 'bloody' make-up in order to reveal cruelty which
hides behind animal testing 'in the name of beauty'. After pointing
a finger in mid January at Procter & Gamble (P&G) because of
their household products, with this action we called all citizens to
boycott P&G's cosmetics. With the action 'Bloody Make-up of Max
Factor' we wanted to vividly show that cosmetics tested on animals cannot
beautify anyone who cares about one's inner beauty and clear conscience.
By the look of our activists and reactions of passers-by we obviously
did that!All
Animals Have the Same Parts
On
May 25, our five activists again walked the main city square to show
explicit messages drawn over their almost naked bodies to show that
animals raised for food have meat, bones, blood and the same body parts
as humans do. Also, animals exposed to the torture of industrial breeding
and violent slaughter experience the same psychological and physical
pain as humans would. Our activists wanted to rouse compassion in consumers
and tell them that animals' lacerated bodies do not belong in butcher
shops or in stores and supermarkets, wrapped in plastic foil.Youth
Associations Fair
This
year, Animal Friends Croatia participated for the second time in the
Youth Associations Fair, which took place from 11-13 May 2005 in Zagreb.
A short promotion of the Croatian edition of Eternal Treblinka: Our
Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust by Charles Patterson was
held at the Fair, as well as a video presentations about the seal slaughter
in Canada and animal abuse in circuses, followed by the video projection
'Meet Your Meat'. We also invited all visitors and representatives of
38 associations to taste delicious vegan food and thus join vegetarians
worldwide who kicked their meat habits for good.At
the same time of being present at the Youth Associations Fair, at
another info stand in front of Croatian National Theater, which was
held as part of the Human Freedoms Fair, Animal Friends Croatia again
promoted the book Eternal Treblinka and the work of our organization.
Although
the controversial book Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals
and the Holocaust by the American author Charles Patterson had
its promotion on May 11 in Mama Club, the climax was reached eight
days later at a promotion in KIC – Cultural Informative Center, Zagreb.
Philosopher Hrvoje Juric said that 'it was one of the few books which
totally besets the reader, not only while reading it, but afterwards
also, and probably forever' and that it was a book that 'profoundly
disturbs, shocks and destroys'. His view was shared by other great
promotors in their speeches. Suzana Marjanic said that by using a
painful parallel between the Jewish and animal holocaust it is neccessary
to focus our attention on the on-going holocaust. After showing some
slides depicting transport of live animals and drawings made in slaughterhouses
by Sue Coe, she finally commented the controversial exposition 'Holocaust
on your plate' by PETA, which was held last year in Zagreb. Boris
Beck gave a brief synthesis of the book's content and the dilemmas
it deals with. Miroslav Vukmanic, the director of the publishing company
Genesis, which published the book in cooperation with the Animal Friends
Croatia, and brilliantly translated by Bernard Jan, said that Eternal
Treblinka was the most important book his company published so
far. Bernard Jan, translator and animal rights activist, said that
translating the book in Croatian was an exciting, but also a strenuous
experience, marked by many speciesistic terminology. During the display
of a ten minute video material 'T4-Work in Progress', by Robert Franziszty
and Drazen Jeren, because of the explicit scenes from slaughterhouses
combined with black and white photographs of the prisoners of German
concentration camps, many participants had to leave the projection
room, only to return for the final part, a heated debate initiated
by the students of Filozofski fakultet Druzbe Isusove in Zagreb.
On
May 21, 2005, and after actions 'Ariel Washes Bloodily' and 'Bloody
Make-up of Max Factor', the Annual
Global Boycott Procter & Gamble (P&G) Day was also adequately
marked. While
our activists informed the media people and passers-by about the sins
of this multinational company, which has more than 250 brands on the
market, with our banners, video projection, leafletting and handing
out the black and white list, representatives of the Association for
the Protection of Consumers in Croatia informed the public about their
experiences with the cases of falsely advertising products of general
use. This time again the interest for our black&white lists was
huge. What's more important, people increasingly follow the instructions
from these lists whilst purchasing ethical products.
After
numerous incidents in Istria (Croatian peninsula) at the beginning of
this year as well as in other places where it performed, circus Gärtner
on its Dalmatian tour towards Dubrovnik tortures animals and verbally
and physically attacks citizens of Croatia – now as the first registered
Croatian circus with animal acts. At the beginning of May while performing
in Zadar, circus employees attacked with stones the activist of Z.V.U.K.
association whose members held a couple of protests in front of the
circus, threatening him that they will kill him by 'breaking his neck'.
On 2 June in Sibenik activists of Animal Friends Croatia with a support
of associations SEP
Plavi planet, Z.V.U.K. and conscious citizens organized several protests
in front of the circus. New protests are planned in all other towns
where circus plans to make money on animal suffering. You can find out
more about the history of Gärtner's violence towards
animals and people on our web site www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr
in the article 'Who is Gärtner?'
For
the fist time in Croatia, in cooperation with the World Society for
the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and WhaleWatch.org,
Animal Friends Croatia marked this year's World Ocean Day. Happenings
took place on 4, 8 and 11 June with the informative stand and leafletting,
a workshop in front of Europe theatre during which children from 1st
to 4nd grade of Gubec International School, Eco-school Voltino as well as other children
which were passing by and who readily joined in when our activists
invited them
drew whales, and the evening projection of two videos about the whaling
and whale protection in net club Mama.
The focus of this year's World
Ocean Day was the protection of whales and urging a hasty accession
of Croatia to International
Whaling Commission (IWC) in order for Croatia to actively
participate in whale protection and in upholding of the current moratorium
on commercial whaling which threatens to be lifted. In this regard
AFC sent an open letter to the Prime Minister of Croatia Ivo Sanader
and we also contacted Croatian Minsitry of Culture.
-
Animal Friends Croatia, in cooperation with Green Action, marked in
Zagreb park Maksimir Earth Day on 22 April, having a thematical info
stand about animals abused in experiments and in connection with the
World Day of Lab Animals (24 April).
-
After the successfull rescuing of the dog Lika from a pit we organized
three years ago, we are glad to announce that our branch from Zadar
rescued another dog from a pit near Zadar in which he spent five years
(!), thrown into it by irresponsible people. Again we invite everyone
not to take a dog if one doesn't have the conditions to care for it,
and to spay/neuter their dogs so that unwanted puppies won't end up
thrown in a pit, drown or poisoned.
-
Our branches in Rijeka, Krizevci and Umag also marked past month with
appropriate actions, lectures and info stands. We are glad to hear
that they are also active in our mutual fight for animals and their
rights.
-
On our web site www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr
there is a new gallery – an empty Croatian slaughterhouse facility,
so if you really want to take a look at it this might be a good opportunity.
- Our invitation for joining a Human Race in Pamplona this July
in Spain in which hundreds of activists from all around the world will
run for the ban of the cruel bull runs and bull fights, resulted with
filled Zagreb coach in only a couple of weeks! We look forward to meeting
all of you coming with other coaches to Pamplona!At
the end of this newsletter again we want to thank everyone who helped
us and our work in any way. The least we can do for you in return
is to promise to keep fighting for those whose voice can be only heard
through us and our efforts.
All
the best and for the animals,
Your Animal Friends Croatia
