NSW: Naked PETA protest against Burberry fur in Sydney's CBD

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2006
NSW: Naked PETA protest against Burberry fur in Sydney's CBD

By Claudia Ferraz

SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - Two women wearing Santa hats staged a naked protest against fur
outside the window of the fashion clothes shop Burberry in Sydney's CDB today.

The first protest from the animal rights group PETA targeting a shop in Australia is
part of an international campaign started last month in London.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said they showed Burberry executives
video footage of fur farming but the company still refused to stop using fur in its designs.

PETA's campaign will continue in the Pacific area, with the next targets in Hong Kong,
Manila and Tokyo.

Next on the list in Australia is the Burberry shop in Adelaide.

Director for PETA Asia Pacific, Jason Baker, said Burberry was PETA's international
target because it was one of the largest sellers of fur.

"They can easily give up," Mr Baker said.

"We want them to give up fur because animals in fur farms spend their entire lives
in cages, where they're beaten, strangled to death, and electrocuted."

As for PETA's common practice of protesting nude, Mr Baker said: "Naked is what gets
people's attention and this is a funny way to talk about a serious issue."

The students, who are also vegan, covered their body with a banner.

Kristi-Anna Brydon, 28, said her boyfriend wouldn't be jealous about her being naked
in the street because "it is for a good cause".

"There is no excuse no matter how fashionable some people may think it is," she said.

"It's wearing dead animals' skin on your body ... there is nothing fashionable about that.

"If people went into these farms and saw what these animals are having to go through
then they wouldn't support it."

Half an hour into the protest, the store's alarm echoed and water came from the roof,
possibly to discourage the naked women.

"If they have nothing to hide they will probably come out and talk to us," said first-time
naked protester Shatha Hamade, 25.

Former PETA targets, such as Calvin Klein, have adopted the use of fake fur after the
group's protests.

Comment is being sought from Burberry.

AAP Student/klw/jm/de

KEYWORD: PETA NAKED (WITH PICS)

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