First Flour ‘Bombed’ Now Kim Kardashian Store DASH Protested By Around 100 Concerned Citizens
April 14, 2012 by JR
Filed under Breaking News, Business, Celebrities, Entertainment News, Fashion, Featured, FEATURES, International News, People
Special Story Written By JR for Diversity News Magazine
Some people don’t know when to quit while they’re ahead. This seems to be the case with reality ‘star’ Kim Kardashian. First she’s ‘floured bombed’ last month in West Hollywood, California on the red carpet, then her DASH store in Calabasas, California is targeted by close to100 concerned citizens protesting her use and promotion of fur.
On Saturday, April 14, 2012 from 12-2 protestors chanted rather peacefully, “Hey Kim what do you say, how many animals did you kill today?” and “40 animals, one fur coat.” The very cooperative and respectful group of people consisted of animal activists, animal lovers and concerned citizens who are disgusted with Kim Kardashian being a role model for their children. Last Chance For Animals Investigator Bryan Monell commented, “Kim Kardashian has admitted to having seen the footage of raccoons, cats and dogs being skinned alive for their fur and she STILL has fur in her line.” To this comment, one person was heard saying, “If she saw that and still has the nerve to sell fur and promote it then she has no soul.” Hit singer-songwriter Fawn said, “If we put people like the Kardashian’s on a pedestal and as role models for our youth, then what does that say about us as a collective people?”
Carrying signs and facing them towards the store to obvious uncomfortable employees inside, as well as lining the walls, walkways and street corners, the demonstrators kindly left a path for shoppers to walk through to the store. It was no surprise that the store eventually turned it’s lights out, hoping that the individuals exercising their constitutional right to express their opinion, would just go away.
Animal Rights Lawyer and Award Winning Director and Producer of “Skin Trade,” Shannon Keith said “We’re here trying to educate them on the atrocities of the fur trade and educate them, but they won’t allow me in the store. They don’t want to see this, (holding the film Skin Trade) because then they would know the truth and they wouldn’t want to wear fur.” She went on to say: “This reflects poorly on DASH and their policies because if they’re going to discriminate on people that just want to peacefully educate them, then who else are they discriminating against – what other classes of human being’s are they discriminating against from walking into their store?”
Organizer of Fur Free West Hollywood, Ellen Lavinthal said, “What’s very interesting and hypocritical is that Khloe Kardashian, one of the main owners of the store and one of the main people who ran the store originally before she moved to Texas with her husband, posed for PETA in an ad that said ‘I’d rather go naked then wear fur’ and yet she is condoning this behavior.” She went on to point out that “Most people are missing the point – Whether DASH is currently carrying fur is not the issue, as right now is not the ‘fur’ time of year, it is their continual promotion of fur on the red carpet, in their stores and on their reality how. It’s their arrogant refusal.
Calabasas California wasn’t the only state holding a protest at DASH. New York and Miami were simultaneously protesting DASH stores in their area as well.
Rumor has it that Kim would just like this all to go away. Silly Kim. This is NOT going away. You will keep getting Twitter messages slamming your affinity to kill innocent animals for your vanity until you finally learn compassion and a bit of class. Don’t you know that it isn’t fashionable, appealing or even vogue to wear something that once had a mother, just like you? Lovers of the animal world don’t hold your breath. With some one like Kim, it may never happen.
Photos credit to: FFD Images & Christina Hess
About JR
JR is a special celebrity writer for Diversity News Magazine published by Diversity News Publications
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Grammy Awards Weekend For Free WeHo Protest Maxfield Two Hours Before Whitney Houston Dies
By JR, Special for Diversity News Magazine.
On Saturday, February 11, 2012, During the high-profile Grammy Awards weekend, and just 2 hours before Whitney Houston was found dead at age 48 at the Beverly Hills Hilton less than 2 miles away, a large mass of 150+ anti-fur protestors dressed in funeral clothing surrounded the trendy Maxfield boutique located at 8825 Melrose Avenue in the city of West Hollywood, CA 90069.
Organized by Fur Free West Hollywood, which is spear-headed by Animal Alliance’s Ellen Lavinthal, the protest was publicized all over popular social websites including Facebook and Twitter. Lavinthal explained that she was given a personal promise from Maxfield owner Tommy Perse that the fur in his store would be removed early, however shortly after she left, the fur magically re-appeared. Lavinthal stated, “There were five fur coats in there yesterday. They broke their word, so we are here today to show them that we are watching.”
Hit recording artist Fawn commented, “If you’re going to continue to display and sell fur, after you’ve agreed to take it down, don’t lie about it! That shows a lack of integrity and if you lack integrity in your word, then what do the products you sell lack?”
Fawn said, “In this day and age, there are plenty of faux fur alternatives. Wearing real fur is cruel, pure vanity and ethically wrong.”
Agreeing with her, Lavinthal concluded, “We will be back for the Oscars, and every other major entertainment event thereafter until they keep their word.”
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Last Chance For Animals undercover investigator Bryan Monell pointed out, “While Maxfield lied, more animals died,” a sentiment several protestors began to shout “While Maxfield Lies, They Die,” and “Maxfield Lied, They Died.” Other activists bellowed “Boycott Maxfield” and one participant yelled about dogs and cats being skinned alive in China for fur, as people walked by. One of those people happened to be virtuoso guitarist Nils Lofgren, best known for playing with Bruce Springsteen in the E Street Band, Crazy Horse and Grin.
All in all, it was a calm, civil and somber protest with participants wearing long faces, black veils and carrying gruesome signs with photos of animals skinned alive – an unfortunate reminder of what goes on in the fur industry. Animal rights activist Patty Shenker said, “It’s deplorable what is done to these sentient beings, and all for vanity! Only frigid women wear fur!”
A ‘funeral procession’ with protestors completely cloaked in black, holding black signs and wearing black veils traveled up and down the streets frequented by many celebrity clientele such as Mary Kate and Ashley Olson, Madonna, Johnny Depp, Prince, Adam Lambert and Faux-fur friendly Pamela Anderson.
West Hollywood is known for being a “city of compassion” with several historic laws passed, such as the recent decision of West Hollywood becoming the first Fur Free city in the United States (taking effect September 2013), the ban on the declawing of cats, the sale of animals in pet stores, and the distinct classification of pets no longer being “property” but being referred to as “companion animals.”
Among the protestors were Religious leaders Rabbi Jonathan Klein and Michael Mata, a minister with the National Evangelical Latino Organization. Klein and Mata are part of the ‘Faith Action for Animals’ and hope to bring faith and animal rights together for ethical reasons. Klein explained that up until the days of Noah, people were eating a “plant based” diet, quoting one of the 10 commandments, “though shalt not kill.” He continued, “All creation, all life is precious and valuable.”
According to protest co-organizer Ed Buck, when the Fur Free West Hollywood campaign began last year, Maxfield which is known for it’s unusual, eclectic and extravagant merchandise, agreed to remove all fur items from their store, joining other West Hollywood stores that also volunteered to ‘take down early’ such as H, Lorenzo, The Pleasure Chest, and Zadig & Voltaire on Sunset Plaza.
Eleven years old Stella Lavinthal said, “Out of all the stores that agreed to remove their fur early, Maxfield was the only one that said they would and didn’t. What’s up with that? They lied, so we’re here today to let them know that it’s not okay to lie.”
Do you hear that Maxfield? It’s not okay to lie. Looks like the Fur Free West Hollywood has struck again.
Photos credit to: Last Change for Animals and FFD Images
About JR
JR is a special celebrity writer for Diversity News Magazine published by Diversity News Publications
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Pink and Cesar Milan Come Together for Puppy Mill Awareness Day
September 21, 2010 by News Staff
Filed under Community, Featured, News
By JR, Special for Diversity News
On Saturday, September 18, 2010 Puppy Mill Awareness Day was presented by Last Chance for Animals at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles from 11:00 am to 3:00pm to support the Adopt, Don’t Shop initiative and bring awareness of the horrific conditions of puppy mills.
Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan spoke at the event encouraging the packed audience to go to shelters and rescues to adopt, rather than buy at pet stores, which get their dogs from puppy mills. There were a variety of cruelty-free vendors and booths including vegan food booths and Humane education booths, various speakers, a silent auction, face painting and music with a highlighted performance by The Faded whose music is heard in the award-winning documentary Skin Trade. Celebrities in attendance were Musicians Pink, Poison’s Rikki Rocket, Fawn, Lord’s of Acid vocalist Lacey Conner and Actress Michelle Forbes. Also in attendance were undercover investigator Bryan Monell, director Shannon Keith, animal advocates Kim Sill and Jack Carone, LCA Board President Carol Araneo, West Hollywood City Council Member Jeffrey Prang, Last Chance for Animals Founder and CEO Chris DeRose, Humane Society’s Dale Bartlett, SPCA ‘s Madeline Bernstein and Animal Acres Representative and actress Ciddy Fonteboa. The event was launched to create awareness against puppy mills which are appalling places for dogs to survive. In the puppy mills, they are bred over and over for pet stores. On her twitter page, Pink made a series of tweets about her experience at the event, saying “It’s puppy mill awareness day and I just got back from the incredible event at La Brea Tar Pits. No more puppy mills!!” “Puppy mills are awful, filthy, cruel places where dogs never see daylight, sleep in their own feces, and r (are) bred over n (and) over for pet stores. Boycott pet stores people!!!!” She has asked her fans to boycott pet stores. About Last Chance for Animals: Last Chance for Animals (LCA) recognizes that animals have the ability to experience pain, and as such they deserve certain basic rights protecting them from pain caused by humans. LCA believes that non-human animals should not be subjected to suffering and exploitation by humans because alternatives exist for nearly every traditional “usage” of animals.
LCA opposes the use of animals for scientific curiosity, entertainment, clothing, and food. LCA recognizes the use of non-human animals in medical experimentation as both immoral and of questionable scientific validity due to the tremendous biological difference between species. LCA’s work advocates conscious and informed lifestyle decisions, and the organization is committed to disseminating truthful information about societal animal abuse to improve the treatment of animals. To find out more about the issue, stop by BanPuppyMills.com.
Editor’s Note: We are very glad the musicians like Pink are involved in great causes in helping animals.
