(from L - R: Last Chance for Animals' Chris DeRose, Jan Smith, and AAFL's Eric Prescott)
Our Los Angeles Japan Dolphin Day protest was a bit smaller than I was hoping for, with somewhere around two dozen or so people holding up signs and banners when I arrived, about 30 minutes late after my hour drive back down from Animal Acres. But the media was already there, as was environmental activist/actor Ed Begley, Jr., Last Chance for Animals' Chris DeRose, and numerous dedicated activists responding to LCA's and In Defense of Animals' calls to local activists for help in staging the protest.
The demo was quiet, respectful, and friendly with passersby on their way to and from lunch. It was a very uneventful protest in that regard, and for that I am thankful. I'm not thrilled with the banner you see in the photo above, but was glad for LCA and IDA putting together so many materials to hand out, from beautiful and thorough brochures to quick flyers urging readers to write the Japanese consulate, as well as tools like scores of signs like the one you see me holding and the blow-up dolphins with red paint on them. Those were a bit graphic, perhaps, but that's what we're dealing with when it comes to this slaughter, and the fact that a couple of people asked if they could have them says something... I think. Ultimately it was the comparison to Pearl Harbor I could have done without. Dramatic attention-getter, I know, but I don't think this issue needs activists to resort to those sorts of tactics when the reality is brutal enough in its own right.
I had a number of people come up to ask me why we were there (they didn't know the consulate was inside), a few people actually came up to me and asked for flyers, and a couple of of others let me know they were glad we were protesting. I sometimes wonder if that's as far as it goes for them. As if encouraging us is enough (not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, seriously). I'm glad people are morally supportive, I'm glad the media was there, and I hope they make some mention to a wider audience, but we'd also like for people who saw these photos and read about the drive fisheries to write to the Japanese consulate and to their own representatives demanding something be done about this barbaric annual slaughter.
Please read my original post on Japan Dolphin Day for information about where to send your letter, and more background information so you know what you're writing about. This hideous slaughter must end.
As an addendum, I'd suggest trying a demo out. If you're used to seeing demonstrations full of conflict, I can understand your reticence, but they're not all like that. If you object to any element of a protest, you can always leave. But by showing up, you give the protest a chance to gain attention and canvas the area with literature more effectively. If you never go, you're leaving the fate of the animals up to a small band of dedicated animal-friendly people. Without you, those numbers won't go up, and popular support for the animals will remain silent. Silence = Death.
Labels: activism, dolphin slaughter, dolphins, wildlife
