101 Things

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liveuponatime.com

 *Notice how I’m standing as close to the barricades as possible? Read on to find out why

There are few places that conjure visions of protests and demonstrations like New York City. When we began planning our Macy’s Thanksgiving trip, I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to accomplish #98, Go on a Demonstration. I began searching the Internet for a PETA demonstration (my all time fave animal rights organization), but apparently they keep their operation plans pretty hush-hush. After searching for “animal rights demonstration day after Thanksgiving”, I discovered that the day after Thanksgiving is the most widely attended annual animal rights demonstration - FUR FREE FRIDAY! Jackpot! Caring Activists Against Fur (CAAF) posted details of their plan to march from Lord & Taylor to Macy’s, so I e-mailed them to let them know I’d be joining their group. A lady named Julie responded to let me know that another group, Global Justice for Animals and the Environment, was also meeting earlier that day to protest Canadian seal hunting in front of the Canadian Consulate. Double Jackpot!!

The experience:

I arrived in front of the Canadian Consulate at 11:00am, as instructed. It was freezing! There was a police officer looking around and sanitation workers cleaning a fountain, but no protestors. I waited a few minutes before deciding to walk around the block just in case I somehow read the directions wrong. Next time around, there were two more police officers talking on radios as if they were expecting some action to begin. A Carrot Top look-alike walked his bike to the fountain and began looking around as if he were expecting someone. It was now 11:20am and I was frozen solid from fountain-cleaning overspray, so I decided to sneak into the Rockefeller Center for a soy mocha at Starbucks. Apparently, this group was unaware that leather-free watches are now being sold in stores. I emerged from the warmth just in time to see a full-fledged police squad, an eclectic mix of people digging banners and posters out of backpacks, and Carrot Top waving to some members in the group. I knew these were “my people”, so I walked up as if I were a pro at protests and waited to be handed a sign.

About five policemen approached us to inquire about our plans, when the fear of #23 (Get Arrested) hit me like a wave of motion sickness. I did not want to get arrested today, so I shakily complied with everything they instructed us to do. They instructed us to get in “the box” (several metal barricades shaped in a square), and I was the first (and only) to jump in the box as if I were a new recruit at boot camp. The others argued that the box wasn’t necessary, and the police officers actually relented. They asked us if we had blood on us, and I began emptying all my pockets for inspection while the others simply replied, “No.” They again asked us what are plans were for the day, so I handed them a print-out of the e-mail that I received. By this time, it was clear that I was not a pro at protests and that I believe in peace almost as much as I do animal rights.

Then the harsh words began. First from the protest group when they began bashing recent decisions of the Humane Society (I happen to be on the local Board of Directors). I asked them if we could just all work together to make progress, and they agreed and were polite throughout the rest of the protest. Then, some of the strangest comments began flailing from the mouths of passers-by. “Abortion is murder!” “What about cruelty to humans?” “Focus on the economy!” To them I could only respond, “It’s all important.” Does anyone else out there feel that we all should do everything we can to make this world a better place? Some people were really so vain to ask, “How do I pimp if my fur’s not real?” One of the saddest things I witnessed was a mother covering the eyes of her preteen daughter, so she could not read our signs. I wanted to stop the mother to make her aware that her daughter clearly had no awareness of the world around her, anyway. She was much more focused on protecting her leather Mary Janes from the dirty city streets, as I’m sure her mother had so carefully taken the time to teach.

Overall, the demonstration was pretty moving. Members of the group performed a convincing rendition of the Animal Cruelty Olympics: Canada, Norway, and WTO (see video below). Several people expressed thanks as they passed. Others requested brochures. The police even endured freezing temperatures to make sure we were safe and provide escorts for the march later that day.

As a disclaimer, I do not necessarily agree with all of the beliefs and practices of the organizations mentioned above. I do, however, believe that we can all work together for common goals. Oh, and fur is dead!