Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap
Boycott the Gap: NO REST for the RIGHTEOUS!!!
Posted by Mary Bull (chalicenew@earthlink.net)
Friday, August 25, 2000
Greetings, Forest Defenders and Social Justice Activists Across the Land!
***Raza Si, Migra No!***
***Al Gore, Corporate Whore!!***
***Racist, Sexist, Anti-Gay--LAPD Go Away!!!***
...a few of the chants that filled the streets of L.A. during the Democratic
National Convention! The RNC and DNC Protests were nothing short of
STUPENDOUS: They marked the first great step toward the integration of our
domestic race issues -- from Immigration to the Prison-Industrial Complex --
into the mass movement against Corporate Economic Globalization, the
corporate imperialist paradigm that is itself steeped in racism as evidenced
in the Global North's subjugation of the Global South. To this great
beginning, activist youths of color led POWERFUL MARCHES & RALLIES in L.A.
last Tuesday and Wednesday!
The DNC Protests were also a MEDIA COUP for the RIGHTEOUS (despite the
inevitable numbskull journalists who never see the forest for the trees)!
The Save the Redwoods - Boycott the Gap affinity group -- the GAPATISTAS! --
made our voices heard locally and nationally in both independent and
corporate television, radio, and print media, getting the word out about Gap
Deforestation and Sweatshops, as well as the necessity to End Corporate
Control of Public Policy! WE WERE TRULY EVERYWHERE, including ABC and NBC
national news, the L.A. Times, the New York Times--and every obscure journal
you can imagine!!!
****UNCLE SAM TOP HATS OFF TO AN INCREDIBLE GROUP
FOR THEIR NON-STOP TOUR DE FORCE IN L.A.!!!!***
****AND THREE MIGHTY CHEERS for ANTONIA JUHASZ, RANDI SPIVAK, & AMERICAN
LANDS for spearheading the Pacific Northwest Forest Roadshow that ended in
the National Forest Protection Day Rally with Bonnie Raitt and Julia
Butterfly in Pershing Square, Los Angeles, on Aug 14!!! Without their
monumental effort to ensure a STRONG FOREST PRESENCE, the mass protests in
L.A. would have been sadly, solely anthropo-centric!!!****
****FINALLY, BUSHELS OF 100% POST-CONSUMER
RECYCLED CONFETTI FOR BONNIE RAITT ...who came out publicly against the Gap
at the Forest Rally and spoke eloquently and powerfully for Ralph Nader at
the press conference afterward!!! (See the report-back below for more on
this and other protest highlights!)****
Did I mention that there is No Rest for the Righteous--? In this newsletter
and CALL TO ACTION:
***CA Forestry Reform Bill AB 717: CONTACT STATE REPS N-O-W!!!***
-Our New York Times Ad to the Gap Fishers!
-Gap Fishers Re-Apply for Certification: Let's DEBUNK the FSC!!!
-DNC Report-Back: PROTEST HIGHLIGHTS!!!
-Upcoming Actions & Events:
----Aug 27, SF: Women's Rights Day: Fiery Feminist Freedom Fest!
----Aug 28, SF: Breaking it Down: Teach-in on Globalization!
----Aug 31, Sacto: The Wizard of Sacto: Postponed!
----Sep 5, NYC: IFG Teach-in, Can the UN Be Salvaged?
----Sep 6--8, NYC: UN Millennium Summit: Call to Mass Action!!!
----Sep 9, Berkeley. Environmental Poetry Festival
----Sep 18, 27, Bay Area: Classes in Environmental Activism!
----Sep 26, Internat'l: IMF/World Bank in Prague - Solidarity Actions!
----Oct 1--3, Sacto: Forest Roadshow Demos!
----Oct 7, Internat'l. Day of Protest Against Militarization of Space!
----Thru November 5: Let's Crash Some Republocrat Fundraisers!!!
***ACT NOW to Stop Atrocious Cruelty to Bears in China!***
***But before you read on, please take 30 seconds to fill out the online
petition to help open the Presidential Debates to Ralph Nader and other
candidates. http://green.votenader.org/petition/petitionform.html ****
CA FORESTRY REFORM BILL AB 717: PLEASE ACT NOW!!!
**********************************************************************
While we were in L.A., Forestry Reform Bill AB 717 went through yet another
incarnation! Davis stonewalled it when it was a comprehensive watershed
analysis bill--now it's primarily an ANTI-CLEARCUTTING BILL (it would place
a moratorium on all clearcutting for at least two years while an independent
scientific review panel is formed to participate in the Timber Harvest Plan
review process; for more info on the bill, contact Eric Brooks at Forests
Forever brookse@igc.org 415/974-3636).
The SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE just convened and will be VOTING ON IT
sometime TODAY. If it passes (there's a high degree of confidence it will
due to the AB 717 Coalition's bombardment of the Committee members with
phone calls, faxes, and lobbying--I just finished calling myself!--but Big
Timber opposition has been FIERCE!), it will go to the Senate and Assembly
floors as early as Monday--and it's going to be CLOSE! SOOOO....
...PLEASE CALL YOUR REPS NOW and ask them to support this bill!!!! TONE
should be FRIENDLY but FIRM. The argument should be that clearcutting is BAD
FOR ***BUSINESS***(tourism and timber), WATER QUALITY (herbicides and
erosion), as well as the environment. To get contact info for your state
legislators go to http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
Letters to the Editor are also recommended. I'll try to get out a sample
letter today with email addresses of the Editors.
Our New York Times Ad to the Gap Fishers!
**************************************************
Last Tuesday, August 15, the second day of the DNC, Save the Redwoods -
Boycott the Gap ran a full-page ad to the Gap Fishers in the New York Times
California Regional Edition. It was run opposite an ad to Bill Clinton
condemning his bogus forest protection policies. It was just GREAT: a Fisher
CLEARCUT directly opposite Bill Clinton!
The ad was made possible through the incredibly generous donations from
MEMBERS of the SRBG NETWORK (& TWO GREAT WOMEN in particular with a matching
grant from their company), the donated services of the brilliant,
progressive AD COMPANY that designed and wrote the ad (with Mary Pj), and
donated photographs from several sources. (We have not cleared it with
them--so I will not mention names at this time), but...
***THREE MIGHTY CHEERS FOR THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE!!!***
For those of you who haven't seen it, we will post the ad shortly at our web
site! We have received dozens of positive responses to the ad thus far!!!
Gap Fishers Re-Apply for FSC Certification!
*************************************************
For the past two years, the Fishers of Gap, Inc. have relentlessly continued
Louisiana Pacific's liquidation logging policy in Mendocino and Sonoma
Counties. They were denied Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification by
two certifying groups last year, and since then have continued to
ferociously log the last pockets of viable forest on their holdings. In a PR
ploy (part of their slick mis-information campaign), they technically
stopped doing "clearcuts"--instead they do 90% clearcuts (just as
devastating), and to make up for the few trees they leave behind (which
inevitably blow down during the next storm), they have INCREASED the overall
number of acres they log by ONE THIRD over their rapacious predecessors
(L-P).
They have recently re-applied for certification--the green label that says
their trees were logged "sustainably." Our skepticism regarding the private
certification process remains the same as it was this time last year:
1.) There is no public oversight--the public is shut out of the process;
2.) In its assessment, the FSC does not address cumulative impacts to the
watershed--they only address the impacts relative to the owner's holdings;
3.) Thanks to the influence of official FSC Industry Advisors such as Big
Creek Lumber of Santa Cruz, FSC guidelines allow the logging of old growth
and logging in stream zones--but with coho salmon, steelhead, marbled
murrelets, and northern spotted owls on the brink of extinction in redwood
country, these guidelines are untenable;
4.) Corporate influence (including Bob Fisher's) over the Natural Resources
Defense Council, which helped to form the FSC, casts a pervasive doubt on
the FSC's motives.
****If the Gap Fishers' holdings are certified, SRBG will launch a campaign
to DEBUNK the FSC, starting with another full-page New York Times ad--we may
do this in conjunction with an ad promoting the REDWOOD BOYCOTT.****
DNC Report Back: PROTEST HIGHLIGHTS!!!
***************************************************
Even though our numbers were relatively small (10,000 compared to the 50,000
in Seattle and the 25,000 in D.C.), we accomplished MUCH as a movement,
as a group, and as individuals...
WHY L.A. WAS DIFFERENT
********************************
Unlike Seattle and D.C., in L.A. there was NOT one single goal of the mass
protests, such as to shut down the convention. Therefore, mass civil
disobedience was not in the works, and the need to coordinate the actions of
thousands of demonstrators via the spokescouncil method was not necessary
this time around. For me, this was not a liability--it simply made for a
different atmosphere. In fact, I welcomed it: Instead of spending half my
time and most of my energy at the spokescouncil sessions, I was
demonstrating in the streets--
--AND WHAT FABULOUS DEMONSTRATIONS THEY WERE....
THEY'RE HERE! THEY'RE THERE!
---THOSE GAPTIVISTS ARE EVERYWHERE!
***************************************************
The Gapatistas--25 activists who agreed to do actions together in
L.A.--began protesting early with a rigorous agendum of Gap actions the
weekend prior to the DNC: 3 actions per day for two days!!! WHEW!!!
CUBES STORM PASADENA! On Saturday we did the Cubes and Strip Action at Gap,
B.R., and Old Navy stores in Pasadena to an absolute BEVY OF MEDIA: in-depth
radio interviews, NBC national TV spot, L.A. Times (we in our BVDs opposite
Hillary Clinton), syndicated print media throughout the US, and so on. A
HUGE SUCCESS media-wise--EVERYONE LOVED THE ACTIONS, including the cops
(who, nonetheless, said they'd keep us in jail over the weekend if we
stripped all the way)!
BEVERLY HILLS BUST! On Sunday, we rolled the FISHER STUMP (5 FT diam, 700
lbs., >200 yrs) into Beverly Hills and prepared to do "A Fisher Family
Picnic" for the Rodeo Drive Crowd -- to the ABSOLUTE CONSTERNATION of the
Beverly Hills Cops, who surrounded us on the quiet side street that we were
using as a staging area! They decided to impose an arbitrary interpretation
of a City Ordinance that obviously speaks to banner polls onto our stump,
threatening arrest should we not remove it from the sidewalk (clearly in
violation of our First Amendment rights--which was later confirmed by
members of the National Lawyers Guild).
***B.H. COPS, YOU CAN'T HIDE--WE CAN SEE YOUR FASCIST SIDE!***
OUR HEROES. We immediately called the press and Midnight Special, our
attorneys at large. It was looking bleak... until a half dozen
chartreuse-capped National Lawyers Guild attorneys (legal observers) rounded
the corner, followed closely by another half dozen L.A. Times and Chicago
Tribune reporters. THEY WERE OUR HEROES--their presence applied the pressure
that resulted in a compromise: The cops allowed us to pull our truck and
trailer with stump into the RED ZONE right in front of the Gap and to
perform the action from the trailer.
POLICE HARASSMENT. From there we headed for Santa Monica Promenade for a
repeat performance. En route Mark was stopped by the LAPD & SMPD for driving
while carrying a stump and was tailed by the LAPD till the end of the day:
Go figure!
BEACH PARTY! At the promenade we joined well over 500 demonstrators at an
INCREDIBLY UPLIFTING sweatshop rally at the GAP (organized by Global Ex and
others). The STUMP created a sensation and provided a stage/center piece for
the entire rally. The hilarious BILLIONAIRES FOR BUSH OR GORE (including our
own Lani!) popped up -- as they did everywhere in top hats, tails, gloves,
and costume jewelry, commending the cops for protecting their interests and
so on -- and led the crowd in "Maquiladora" (to Macarena) and "Piece of the
Forest" (to Piece of My Heart). REALLY FUN -- despite the ridiculous
squadrons of cops in riot gear, hiding behind corners, looking sheepish! The
shoppers were also very receptive to the deforestation and sweatshop issues.
A beach party followed where Medea Benjamin and others spoke, in
counterpoint to the Gore fundraiser happening on the Santa Monica Pier.
FOREST RALLY: BONNIE RAITT, JULIA BUTTERFLY
*************************************************************
Monday, the first day of the convention, we staged our National Forest
Protection Day rally at Pershing Square. The rally opened with our 21
CHAINSAW SALUTE. Julia Butterfly, Bonnie Raitt, and John Densmore of the
Doors, among others, then spoke, and the musicians performed. Bonnie came
out publicly against the Gap and was swamped with media at the press
conference following the rally. Bonnie insisted that I sit beside her and
speak to the press regarding Gap Fisher deforestation and the Gap Boycott,
which I did. Julia participated in the conference from a perch in a tree.
Randy Hayes of Rainforest Action Network and Alejandra of Yuba Nation also
participated in the conference. THEY WERE ALL SPLENDID!
OUR BED & THE CORPORATE TOUR OF SHAME
**********************************************************
BED. Our Bed was stupendous, covered in red satin, money, and corporate
placards (thanks to Chloe, Amanda, & Suzanne for decorating!), and occupied
by BUSH (Mark), GORE (Jeff), & BIG BUXOMOUS BUCKS (Chad in drag).
RIVAL SUITORS. We worked up an hysterical little skit for the bed, in which
the RIVAL SUITORS vie for BIG BUX. Bush wins round one by promising to
deliver cheap labor right here in the good ole USofA; Gore wins the second
round by promising to deliver the rest of the planet's resources with the
Global Free Logging Agreement and other free trade gambits. Then the two
rivals engage in a sexy tug-of-war with BUXIE, trying to get her to
say who's going to win in November--but it's all too excitin' for her:
"Boys! November's comin' early this year! It's comin'... It's comin'...
Right Now!" When Bux recovers, she promises she'll love both of them in
November, if they promise her one thing--to beat that little Nader boy:
"...Ya see, I promised Ralph Nader EVERYthing and he just walked
away -- the only candidate that ever broke Big Bux's heart!"
Hopefully we'll get to do this skit here in the Bay Area before Election
Day!
THE CORPORATE TOUR OF SHAME organized by the So Cal Fair Trade Network was
one of the GREAT MARCHES--eclipsed only by the SWEATSHOP MARCH through the
GARMENT DISTRICT on Thursday: Perfect Bookends for the FOUR DAYS of
Convention ACTIONS!!!
The Shame Route at one point allowed you to see the THOUSANDS of PEOPLE on
the incline behind you, which was incredibly empowering! BILLY, ROSIBEL, and
I proudly held our "Save Our Watersheds, End Corporate Rule" banner during
the march. There were lots of GREAT invigorating CHANTS, custom-made for the
Tour Stops, like AT&T and Gore's HQ. At one point, I--with my over-sized
Uncle Sam top hat on at a cocky angle--was interviewed, and that interview
appeared on the local evening news and a 30-second clip of it appeared on
the ABC national news. Luckily, I was ready with my End Corporate Control of
Public Policy rap--and I heard it turned out pretty well.
THREE CHEERS TO LEONE HANKY
& THE SO. CAL. FAIR TRADE NETWORK for organizing this great event!!!
END POLICE BRUTALITY: OUR DOMINATRIX ACT
**********************************************************
Participation in Tuesday's and Wednesday's Anti-Racism Marches and Rallies
was of utmost importance to many in our affinity group. The FoFo activists
in our group made a wonderful, huge banner: End Institutionalized Racism/
California: No 1 in Prisons, No. 43 in Schools!
We also wanted to focus on Gray Davis's relationship with the scandalous,
sadistic and sick CA prison guards union (Davis is very tight with this
union: Golfing with them at Pebble Beach, bypassing the legislature to
secure additional millions for them in benefits, and so on, while prison
guards take prisoners through mock executions, set up gladiatorial contests
that end in deaths, and otherwise perpetrate cruelty and violate human
rights in any vile and cynical way they can dream up).
To this end, Mark and I paid a visit to FREDERICK's of HOLLYWOOD and bought
a dominatrix outfit, replete with cat-o-nine-tails, studded collar, fishnet
stockings, and so on. CHAD--forever a GREAT SPORT--donned the outfit and
sign a that read, "Cal. Prison Guards Union." JOSEPH agreed to be Gray Davis
(suit, wig, mask). The Dominatrix led Gray by a leash and collar on all
fours--their act included Gray sitting pretty and the Dominatrix demanding
more prisons and more influence.... A placard read, "Gray Davis Loves
S&M--He's in Bed with the Prison Guards Union." Needless to say, the media
was all over this!
***I hope to do it again in Sacramento when we file our civil suit for
Fourth Amendment rights violations (the disgusting strip search that no one
should be subjected to) against the Sacto County Jail next month!!!***
CITIGROUP RALLY
***********************
On Thursday the weather turned blessedly cool. In the morning, RAN put on a
wonderful rally against Citigroup, financiers of most of the corporate
destruction and exploitation that we are witnessing worldwide. There were
many inspiring speeches. Antics included a very funny bed skit (I stepped in
to animate the Citigroup umbrella, which gyrated merrily as the Greedy
exchanged favors under the covers) and Randy Hayes, RAN founder, parading as
Senator Billy-Bob, who led the march to Citigroup headquarters and presented
them with a trophy for their role in planetary destruction, etc.
SWEATSHOP MARCH
**************************
For me, the most moving event was the FINAL MARCH through the GARMENT
DISTRICT of L.A. Global Exchange organized this event, and it was strongly
attended by Latinos & Latinas. There was a white cross for every person who
has died attempting to enter the US from the Mexican border, seeking a
better life than the one NAFTA and World Bank debt has left them. Rosibel
and I carried our Corporate Greed/Grim Reaper banner (veteran activist Joan
Norman's tour de force that always creates a sensation), and Rosibel, whose
parents emigrated from Nicaragua, was interviewed twice at this event.
During the rally and march, we called for complete amnesty and civil rights
for all immigrants--and chanted many powerful chants in Spanish and English.
As we moved through the garment district, sweatshop workers ran to the
windows of the ten-story sweatshop factories along the route: We CHEERED
THEM and they CHEERED US in SOLIDARITY...
SUMMARY
*************
THE FIRST AMENDMENT. Though our First Amendment rights were dragged through
the gutter in Philly, and looked as if they'd be completely trounced in
L.A., the ACLU acted swiftly in the L.A. Courts and the Courts took the LAPD
and City Council to task in ruling after ruling, making them issue permits
and stop harassing us at the Convergence Center and in general.
THREE CHEERS FOR THE ACLU & THE COURTS
WHO RULED IN FAVOR OF CIVIL RIGHTS!!!
Of course, there were still transgressions: the violent over-reaction at the
Rage concert, the arbitrary shut down of the Shadow Convention, the
individual acts of police brutality and misconduct--even to our own Chad,
who was billy-clubbed from behind, apparently for wearing a dominatrix
outfit. Mark should not have been stopped or followed. The Beverly Hills
cops should have FACILITATED our rights to assemble and speak publicly
against injustice, instead of COMPROMISING them. And so on.
DIVERSITY. As in D.C., several nitwit journalists found the diversity of our
causes a weakness--couldn't seem to see the common thread that links them
all. BUT WE KNOW BETTER: Diversity is our ENORMOUS STRENGTH--and the vision of a just and healthy world in which HUMAN VALUES and ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY eclipse the Corporate exploitaion and the progit motive is what unites us!!!
End of Report-Back.
Upcoming Actions & Events:
*******************************
----Aug 27, SF: Women's Rights Day: Fiery Feminist Freedom Fest! New
Valencia Hall, 1908 Mission St. (16th St BART, #49 Muni). info:
415-864-1278.
----Aug 28: Breaking it Down: Globalization Teach-in. 6pm, Intersection for
the Arts 446 Valencia @16th in SF. FREE And ACCESSIBLE to ALL Panelists
Include Anuradha Mittal, Food First; Kevin Danaher, Global Exchange; Nancy
Charage, SF Zapatista Committee; Patrick Reinsborough, Rainforest Action
Network; And Representatives from: Project Underground , United Students
Against Sweatshops, Whispered Media, Challenging White Supremacy Workshop,
TransFair USA. For More Info: Call 415-648 4351
----Aug 31: The Wizard of Sacto: We were originally planning to do this
action next Thursday. We are postponing it. We have a lot else to do between
now and the elections, and we'll save it for a time we can do it justice!
----Sep 5, NYC: UN Millennium Summit. IFG Teach-in: Can the United Nations
Be Salvaged? 1 p.m. — 11 p.m. The Town Hall, 123 West 43rd
Street, New York, NY For tickets call: 1-888-629-9269 Ticket Prices: IFG
Members/Students - $10.00 ~ General Admission - $20.00 Some scholarships
and group rates available. PLEASE PURCHASE TICKETS EARLY TO BE SURE OF
AVAILABILITY. From the International Forum on Globalization:
Unlike the Bretton Woods Iron Triangle–the World Trade Organization, World
Bank, and the International Monetary Fund–the United Nations was
not created to be an engine for corporate globalization. The UN mandate
was always broader, and was designed to place peace, human welfare, the
environment, social justice and democracy above profit motives of
corporations. But in recent years, the UN mission has been challenged by
a growing advocacy of the same corporate free trade model that motivates
the Bretton Woods Triad. Many believe that the UN's potential to serve
the needs of peace, security and the interests of the global poor has
been seriously undermined. Others believe that it's worth trying to
re-excite the UN vision and empower UN agencies to place some checks and
balances on global corporations.
----Sep 6--8, NYC: UN Millennium Summit: Call to Action!!! Subscribe to
S8-Mob-subscribe@topica.com for more info or to help organize!
----Sep 9, Berkeley. Environmental Poetry Festival. 11 AM-- 4 PM. MLK Park.
More info: Mark, 510-526-9105
----Sep 18, 27, Bay Area: New College and Merritt Offer Classes in
Environmental Activism for credits this fall. Explore the theory and
practice of the tactics and strategies of environmental activism. Hear from
guest speakers and activists on the front lines of hot campaigns. Learn
practical skills like press release production, demonstration organizing,
testifying before public agencies. Discuss such tactics as guerrilla
theater, grassroots litigation, lobbying, direct action, civil
disobedience and boycotts. Become more effective at affecting the issues you
care about. Taught by two seasoned environmental and social justice
activists (Karen Pickett and Phil Klasky).
MERRITT COLLEGE, 12500 Campus Dr., Oakland (AC Transit lines 64 & 54) Room
D-247 on Mondays; D-144 on Saturdays. Monday evenings 6:30 - 9:30 pm Sept.
18, 25 Oct. 2, 9. Three day long Saturday field sessions Oct. 7, 21 & Nov.
4. Environmental Studies 48OA; Class Code M0700;.5-2.0 units; cost $6 per .5
units. To register on line go to www.peralta.cc.ca.us and go to the
registration link. Once you are registered, you will get an on-line
appointment to enroll in classes. Call 510-436-2655 for specific class info.
NEW COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO, 777 Valencia St., San Francisco,
(24th/Mission BART); Room 6. Wednesday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30 pm Sept. 27
and Oct. 4, 11, 18. Three day long Saturday sessions: Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 14.
Humanities Dept., 2-3 units New College: (415) 437-3400 To register (415)
437-3458.
Sep 26, Internat'l. IMF/WB Meeting in Prague - Solidarity Actions.
ENDORSE! JOIN THE DAY OF ACTION! Return the following form to: Jobs with
Justice, 501 3rd St., NW, Washington, DC 20001, Fax. 202-434-1477 Email.
Lmcspedon@yahoo.com
___ Yes! I want to be involved in an S26 Action
____ List my organization as an endorser.
____ I want to organize a local action
____ I can't organize an action, but will support one in my area.
Name:
Organization:
Address:
Phone/fax:
E-mail:
Bay Area S26 Contact: Martha Hannan, Program Director International
Development Exchange/IDEX Tel: 415-824-8384 Fax: 415-824-8387
http://www.idex.org
----Oct 1--3, Sacto: Forest Roadshow Demos! Darryl Cherney is spearheading a
roadshow and series of forest demos in Sacto this October. Stay tuned as
this takes shape! Contact Environmentally Sound Productions for more info:
707-923-4949.
----Oct 7, Internat'l. Day of Protest Against Militarization of Space.
Vandenberg AFB, CA. Info: 510-496-6012. Info about actions in other regions:
352-337-9274.
----Thru November 5: Let's Crash Some Republocrat Fundraisers!!! HAVE BED,
WILL TRAVEL!
ACT to Stop Atrocious Mass Cruelty to Bears in China!
*************************************************************
Thousands of bears are being subjected to unspeakable cruelty on bile farms
in China: caged in a supine position for as many as 20 years while their
muscles and bones atrophy as their bile is removed by catheters (evidently,
the bile is used by people to improve health and sexual potency--shades of
the tiger penis travesty)... PETA sent the following info and action
guidelines (paraphrased):
The Animals Asia Foundation (AAF) has relentlessly worked to address the
plight of thousands of bears suffering on bile farms throughout Asia. After
years of campaigning, the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) has
signed a new agreement that will rescue 500 endangered Moon Bears from the
worst farms in Sichuan Province. The ultimate goal of this agreement is to
work towards the future elimination of all bear farming in China, and to
promote herbal alternatives to bear bile. Because of this unprecedented
partnership, farms will close, 500 bears will be rescued, and the AAF will
construct a sanctuary where these bears can live out their lives free from
fear and pain.
Please thank and support to this government-related organization and
encourage them to continue their good work of helping the animals in China
via the AAF office: Fax: (852)2791.2320 info@animalsasia.org
Another wonderful group that has worked hard to address this cruel industry
is the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Their "Libearty"
campaign addresses, in part, this deplorable practice. Contact info:
WSPA, 14th Floor, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP. E-mail:
wspa@wspa.org.uk or for more info: http://www.wspa.org.uk
Please also write to the President and Ambassador of China, per the
following sample letter:
Jiang Zemin
President of the People's Republic of China
9 Xihuang - Chenggen Beijie
Beijing 100032
PCR - CHINA
(and/or His Excellency Li Daohyu
Ambassador of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008 ...Dear Ambassador Daohyu:)
Dear President Jiang Zemin:
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an international
charity with over 700,000 members dedicated to the protection of animals.
We are writing to you about the hideously cruel practice of "milking" bile
from bears for use in traditional remedies. This is an unrelentingly
painful and cruel process. The shunts used to collect the bile are
permanently implanted in the bears' sides, causing festering wounds and
infections. The bears are continually confined in cages that allow them
little or no movement.
The products made from bear bile can be easily synthesized, which makes
these cruel farms entirely unjustifiable. We urge you to intervene and
implement a plan to systematically dismantle the hundreds of bear bile farms
throughout China.
The time to eliminate these farms is long overdue. Thank you for your time
and attention to this matter.
Respectfully yours,
Jennifer O'Connor
Cruelty Caseworker
Research, Investigations & Rescue Department
____________________________
More on upcoming September and October Actions Soon!
Cheers--and Keep the Spirit Alive!
Mary Bull
Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap Campaign
252 Frederick Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
chalicenew@earthlink.net 415-731-7924 http://www.gapsucks.org
_________________________________________
Other Contacts/Information Sources:
----------------------------
Mary Pjerrou, Redwood Coast Watersheds Alliance
707-877-3405 pirohuck@mcn.org www.elksoft.com/gwa
----------------------------
Mark Hilovsky, Builders Action Network
415-550-6850 mhilo@aol.com
----------------------------
Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters
510-835-6303 Listserve listproc@envirolink.org
(message text = Subscribe BACHlist,
followed by email address, then name)
----------------------------
Info on Gap Sweatshops:
http://www.globalexchange.org
leila@globalexchange.org
"God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there..."
FOR REDWOODS AND WORKERS:
BOYCOTT THE GAP, BANANA REPUBLIC, & OLD NAVY!!!
For questions and comments please e-mail us!
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