After last week’s success at Modes and Alannah Hill we moved on to Saks, who are once again stocking garments trimmed with factory farmed rabbit fur. All was normal, placard holding, chanting and leafleting until somehow blood was spilt and the chalk came out. The arrival of the Police on the scene signaled all was not well; a conversation between Police Officers stated that there were five more cars on the way (two had already arrived). Talk about overkill; but then Saks is a business owned by rich white people so I guess they do need to be protected from people with morals. After a few moments inside the Police returned and pulled aside an activist who had been singled out for allegedly committing the crime of willful damage. This was later changed to disorderly behaviour because I think even they knew they were pushing it to claim that chalking the pavement was damage.

Three massive Policemen towered over the protester to intimidate her and presumably force some kind of confession. She was asked questions that she did not need to answer and when she questioned this they tried to pressure her into answering them. They seem to think that is some kind of crime to not have a phone number or at least not to give it to them and threatened her with other charges for lying to Police.

Upon release the activist relayed that the Police had tried to trick her into giving them her DNA while they were taking her fingerprints. Luckily she knew better.

While waiting for the activist to be released AAA held a second, rather hurried, protest inside Brave, a store selling fox fur trimmed jackets.

No doubt AAA will be making another appearance at both of these stores soon. There is no excuse for animal abuse!

For more information about the fur trade and the Fur Free Auckland campaign please visit www.aucklandanimalaction.org.nz/furfreeauckland