The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Animal rights activists cause a flutter at leather show

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 02, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Animal rights activists cause a flutter at leather show

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI. FEB. 1. Animal rights activists added drama to the International Leather Fashion Show 2005 held at the Chennai Trade Centre on Tuesday evening.

Protesters from Advocates for Animals, an international animal welfare organisation, swung into action as the show was on.

Three girls took the attention away from model Katrina Kaif when they rushed to the ramp holding banners that said: "Don't kill animals" and sporting white T-shirts that read "Leather is murder."

As they were taken outside, the activists screamed: "Don't turn blind to animal suffering."

No one was injured, the organisers said. But Monica Das, who led the protest, said, "One of them has bruises, she was manhandled." Rakhi Shah, activist who was allegedly injured, soon returned with a bandage around her right arm.

The activists then staged a demonstration outside the venue after the show, as they lay on the ground, and posed with banners and red paint all over their bodies for cameras.

"These people are paid professionals," a participant at the show screamed. "Do you know that 2.5 million people make a living out of the leather industry. You guys are a blot on India's future. Shame on you," he said.

"Shame on you," Asmita Banerjee, an activist from Mumbai, yelled back.

The drama lasted for about half an hour. Enthusiastic onlookers soon got into debates with the girls on vegetarianism. "I was with Yvonne Taylor when she went up on stage twice last year to protest — once after colouring her blonde hair black," recalls Monica. "She couldn't come this year.

She asked us to go ahead."

"It's a free country. Anyone can protest," said Sathish Jadav, convener of the Leather Fashion Show, said on the eve of the show. "The kids do it every year," said Sunita George, coordinator of the show.

"But this time they couldn't get on stage because we had a security gate around the ramp."

Earlier in the day, Pasumai Thayagam activists, protesting outside the venue, demanded "distribution of interim compensation to farmers in Vellore affected by tanneries, reassessment of damage or closure of tanneries."

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