PETA volunteers Meggan Anderson (left) and Krissy Addington lay on the sidewalk at SW Broadway and Yamhill, outside the Nordstrom store, for an hour this afternoon, with their legs in a steel bear trap, covered in fake blood.
“It’s a bit chilly for them,” admitted PETA campaigner Nicole Matthews, “But it’s nothing compared to the coldness of a person who continues to wear fur.”
The protest was the last stop on a Northwest tour by the animal rights organization, which has taken in Seattle, Yakima, Eugene and Salem since Monday. Next stop is Los Angeles, followed by Reno.
People stopped to ask if the blood and the fur coats being worn by Anderson and Addington were real. “The coats have been donated by people who’ve seen the videos on PETA’s website and have taken the decision not to wear fur any longer,” said Matthews.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Jim Dakin stood discretely inside the doorway of Nordstrom, keeping an eye on things. “I’m just standing in here because it’s warm and I forgot my coat,” he siad. “We just don’t want people to get pissed off, basically. There’s no issues here.”
PETA wasn’t protesting Nordstrom, specifically. Indeed, they had hoped to protest in Pioneer Square, but their permit required them to be on a public sidewalk, so they went across the street.
“There’s always someone down here making some kind of statement,” said Kyle Passe, a web developer watching the protest, as he smoked a cigarette. “As long as they’re not interrupting my day, I’ve got nothing wrong with it. It’s better than the Greenpeace people who are always standing on the corner here asking you if you want to save the world today and all that shit.”
“It’s very theatrical, but I’ve seen worse stuff in the newspapers going on in Gaza,” said Amy Howington, a PSU student. “I’m always surprised when there’s a fur protest, because I didn’t think there was still an industry.”
Can you please explain why the sidewalk around Pioneer Square ISN’T a public sidewalk? Isn’t it public property?
Hardly ‘graphic.’
And I’ll bet $5 they really are colder than someone who wears fur.
For clarification: Pioneer Square is, in fact, private property owned by a trust controlled by those with an interest in seeing downtown free of nuisances that distract people from spending money, like free speech. That’s why it’s patrolled by rent-a-cops. More here:
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Se…
You can also call City Commissioner Nick Fish’s office to find out more about the relationship between Pioneer Square and the City of Portland.
Thanks for (sort of) clearing that up. What I’m really confused by is the fact that the sidewalks and max stops are included in the private property. I certainly can’t think of another part of the city where someone owns the sidewalk all the way up to the street.
Just to be clear. PETA is stupid. For example: http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/
I wish sea kittens were real.
WHY AREN’T THEY REAL GRAHAM?
@Krazybee
They can be real if you just believe hard enough. How’s the Bay these days? I hear the people are angry about something.
Hey PETA, if you want attention, pull those skirts up next time. Plus, where could I find me some tasty sea kittens?
It’s not private property.
It is a city park managed by a non-profit organization, under an agreement with the city, and governed by a combination of standard city park laws and special Square-only laws.
It’s great the PETA draws attention to the *&^%ed up issue of trapping wild animals. It’s an easy issue to ignore because most people don’t actually see it, they just see the end results. I’ve seen footage of foxes struggling in traps, seals getting beaten over the head with clubs, and it’s all horrible. If everyone saw it, most people would NEVER wear fur.
Whether animals are being raised for fur, living their lives crammed into tiny, filthy cages before being anally electrocuted, having their throats slit while conscious, or simply being skined alive, or animals are being trapped in the wild, suffering for hours or even days before the trapper returns to strangle, bludeon, or stomp them to death… Fur is wrong.
Whether animals are being raised for fur, living their lives crammed into tiny, filthy cages before being anally electrocuted, having their throats slit while conscious, or simply being skined alive, or animals are being trapped in the wild, suffering for hours or even days before the trapper returns to strangle, bludeon, or stomp them to death… Fur is wrong.
…In response to that, right on. PETA chicks are hot! And fur is so not.
And once AGAIN you are on the wrong side of an issue Matt! You really seem to forget that you are a REPORTER, NOT a opinion writer!
FIRE MATT DAVIS NOW!!!!
@GRAHAM
Some cops “accidentally” shot a kid at a BART station. Supposedly, he was reaching for his taser and grabbed his gun instead.
Come to think of it, why isn’t Matt Davis covering this?
Also, there is an outbreak of TB in the Castro…where I live. San Francisco is trying to kill me.
Sexy!
@kiala What happened to the gay mystery virus?