Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap
Oct 20 Old Navy Grand Opening: Demo Report and Media Follow-up!
Posted by Mary Bull (chalicenew@earthlink.net)
Friday, October 22, 1999
Hale, Forest Defenders, Far and Wide!
DEMO REPORT!
************
Wednesday's action--Old Navy grand opening, Act II of Zap-the-Gap Week here
in SF--was...MARVELOUS (it was nip and tuck up to the last minute, but we
pulled it off beautifully)!!!
MEDIA
The television and print media were all over us. So, hopefully, we'll get
the coverage that we missed last Saturday. We may be on CNN (I did an
interview and Global Ex did an interview), as well as local media and
tomorrow's press; so, please tune in and let us know!
I credit myself with the CNN hook, btw: I sent them--and other key media--a
press release and cover letter late Tues night, which they waived in my face
on Weds.... It started in 14 point type, "This time we will NOT be
overshadowed by a 7.0 earthquake, two major fires, and a bunch of
hurricanes! ...Yes! You are getting a SECOND CHANCE to cover this fabulous
action that drove the crowd wild last Saturday... IS INDECENT EXPOSURE THE
MOST EFFECTIVE FORM OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE??? BE THERE TO FIND OUT!!!"
SWEATSHOP FASHION SHOW AND THE CUBES
The Demo opened with rousing speeches by key members of the Sweatshop
movement, including Chie Abad--an ex-sweatshop-worker and union organizer in
Saipan, followed by a Sweatshop Fashion Show courtesy of Global Exchange, in
which activists modeled Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic attire to a
clever narration revealing the reality behind those (un)cool looks--it was a
real crowd-pleaser!
Then, those adorable CUBES (activists wearing only black cubes with big
white letters printed on each of the four faces - courtesy of
Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap Campaign) stole the hearts of the
passers-by and turned them into instant activists, with their foot-stomping
parody of the most recent, hugely popular Gap TV ad campaign, to the tune of
Depeche Mode's "I Just Can't Get Enough of You," with modified lyrics: "Gap
Just Can't Get Enough Money!" ...While they danced, they spelled out things
like, "Save Redwoods," "No Sweatshops," "Boycott Gap!," and "Gapsucks.org."
They were clearly a HIT!
ACTIVIST STRIPTEASE
But the capper--the show stopper--the act that everyone loved and no one
could follow--was...the ACTIVIST STRIPTEASE (also courtesy of
Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap Campaign): We all wore our CRAP (in the
style of the Gap logo) t-shirts, sweatshirts, and caps, and rhythmically
stripped down to our birthday suits as everyone chanted, "We'd Rather Wear
NOTHING Than Wear Gap!" Once naked, I delivered my speech (WHY we'd rather
wear nothing than wear Gap). On the prompting of Medea Benjamin and Juliette
Beck of Global Ex, we attempted to streak through the Old Navy, but were
intercepted by the SFPD; moments later, we attempted to infiltrate fully
clothed (granted, with mischief in mind), but were once again recognized and
blocked from entering. At one point, it looked like we'd shut down the store
to the chant, "Shut it down! Shut it down! No Sweatshops in our town!" WE
ALL CHEERED!!! (The 10-minute shut-down was confirmed by the media the
following day.)
It was an exhilarating action: HATS OFF TO ALL PARTICIPANTS, especially
those dear to my heart: The "We'd Rather Wear Nothing..." Activists (who
participated in either or both the Oct 16 & Oct 20 actions):
SF Core Group activists: Lon, Lydia, Genia, Carolyn, Mark, Wes, Eric, &
Nicole; Forests Forever activists (or FoFo by association): Suzanne,
Schaunna, Alex, Chad, Amaya, Destiny, Alexa, Gabe, Chris, Obo, Jade, Bomba,
Moira, Grace, Pete, & Victoria. Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap activists:
Sam, Jean, Dian, Rose, Amanda, Ingall, Jeff, Svetlana, Tree Soul, Redwood
Mary, Bill. Mendo activists: Mary Pjerrou, Lang, Beth (video), & Kay
(video). Sweatshop Watch activists: Amy. Global Ex activists: Leila, June,
Stephanie, & Bryan. SF Mime Troupe interns: Nathan & Schuyler. (Please let
me know if I inadvertently left out anyone between Saturday's and
Wednesday's actions in my exhausted stupor!)
You awesome, amazing, self-sacrificing activists all helped to make this a
great action for the redwoods and workers rights. YOU DESERVE A STANDING
OVATION (I think you got it from the onlookers!) Hugs and kisses to each of
you!!!
...And to all of you who didn't make it to this one, need I remind you: It's
TRUE: Activists Have More F-U-N!!!! Join Us Next Time!
MEDIA FOLLOW-UP!
*******************
Good News...kinda...on the Media Front:
--The ABC 6 O'Clock News gave our Oct 20 protest a 20-second spot:
the sweatshop issue was mentioned; the arrest of a forest defender was
shown, but there was no mention of the deforestation issue.
--Anna Marie and Dian report that we also got a spot on the CBS 10 O'Clock
News Wednesday night, with visuals that included both forest and sweatshop
placards and at least one of our Cubes (Carolyn); however, accompanying
narration again only addressed the sweatshop issue.
--Thursday, Oct 21, the SF Examiner gave us a front page story (and inside
picture), very long, in which the redwood issue was mentioned twice--rather
deep in the article--but correctly and strongly stating the Gap/Fisher/MRC
connection. Although "Naked chanters say clothes are made in Saipan
Sweatshops" and "Naked protest at Old Navy opening" were the subheads of the
article, ironically, the Naked Activists' paramount and equally important
issue--the ANNIHILATION OF THE REDWOOD ECOSYSTEM in Mendo and Sonoma
counties--received relatively little coverage.
***Take heart and remember: ANY negative publicity for Gap, Inc. is a win
for both the environmental and human rights causes!***
--Finally, I missed the CNN news on Wednesday. If anyone caught it--or any
other coverage--please let us know if we were on!
**** **** ****
Meantime, here's the reality of the situation: On Oct 19, the day before the
demo, the Gap Fishers' liquidation logging company, MRC, filed another clearcut plan in Greenwood Creek (451). The cowardly and worthless U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service JUST signed off on the Fishers' old-growth logging plan 339 (the ancient Doug fir forest), and timber-serving CDF will probably approve it imminently.
Time to take to the trees!
Mary Bull
Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap Campaign, SF
_________________________________________
Other Contacts/Information Sources:
www.elksoft.com/gwa
----------------------------
Mary Pjerrou, Redwood Coast Watersheds Alliance
707-877-3405 pirohuck@mcn.org
----------------------------
Norman de Vall, Greenwood Watershed Association
707-877-3551 ndevall@mcn.org www.gapsucks.org
----------------------------
Redwood Mary
Plight of the Redwoods Tour redwoodm@mcn.org
http://sites.netscape.net/redwoodmary/redwoodmary
----------------------------
Mary Bull,
Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap Campaign
415-731-7924 chalicenew@earthlink.net
----------------------------
----------------------------
Gap Labor Exploitation URLs:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/01/14
/MN19190.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/01/20
/MN49132.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/01/22
/MN49806.DTL
http://www.house.gov/resources/105cong/democrat/cnmifin.html#contractlabor
----------------------------
http://sweatshops@globalexchange.org
http://www.globalexchange.org
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