ARAN Supporters Urge Irish MEP's to Support Crucial EU Vote

dublin | animal rights | news report Wednesday March 11, 2009 20:25 by Stephan Wymore - Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) arancampaigns at eircom dot net

On March 10th more than 50 ARAN members and supporters came and went during our lively lunchtime demonstration outside the EU Parliament offices in Dublin to urge Irish MEP’s to support an upcoming vote for a ban on seal ‘products’ from Canada into Europe. The aim of the demonstration was also to raise vital awareness of the campaign to passersby and members of the public. Tons of leaflets, bumper stickers and posters were distributed to educate and raise further awareness. As with all of ARAN’s work, we strive to ensure education is our primary focus.

During the event, ARAN members and supporters held banners and placards depicting images of seals been skinned whilst chanting, ‘shame on Canada, save the seals’ and ‘shame on Canada, stop the blood slaughter’. During the event, an ARAN supporter held our body screen TV that screened footage of Canada’s 2007 seal hunt—passersby, including school children saw exactly what the Canadian government is desperate to hide, the brutal slaughter they call a ‘harvest’. Next up was our trip to the Canadian Embassy on Baggot Street Bridge—as the demonstration outside the EU offices was finishing up and people where returning back to work, school, college ect, 20 supporters then marched on the street with placards and a megaphone chanting all the ways to the Canadian embassy ‘shame on Canada, save the seals’ and holding signs reading ‘stop the bloody slaughter’. We then held once again another lively and loud peaceful demonstration directly outside the Canadian embassy where four supporters then entered the Canadian embassy reception politely requesting to speak with the Canadian ambassador. Whilst in the reception, footage from Canada’s seal hunt was been shown. Shortly after, an ARAN representative held a 10 minute meeting the Irish Canadian ambassador to Ireland Patrick Binns.

Please contact the Canadian embassy in Dublin and voice your concern, contact ARAN for more details.