Group Converges on San Antonio With Message That Animals Deserve Their Freedom From Abusive Circus
For Immediate Release:
July 3, 2012
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
San Antonio, Texas -- Holding signs that read, "Elephants Deserve Freedom," and accompanied by an activist wearing an elephant costume, PETA members will protest against the cruel Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on its Fourth of July opening day outside the Alamodome. PETA's point? That Ringling trainers and handlers routinely beat and gouge elephants with bullhooks—weapons that resemble a fireplace poker with a sharp steel tip—and that there's no better time to demand freedom for Ringling's abused elephants than on Independence Day.
When: Wednesday, July 4, 12 noon
Where: Outside the Alamodome (near the intersection of Hoefgen Avenue and Sycamore Street), San Antonio
The protesters will also display posters emblazoned with compelling photos taken inside Ringling's training center that expose how baby elephants used by Ringling are stretched out, slammed to the ground, gouged with bullhooks, and shocked with electric prods. Alec Baldwin has also recently narrated a new video exposé of the Ringling Bros. circus.
"Kids would run screaming from the big top if they knew how baby elephants are violently forced to perform difficult, confusing, and sometimes painful tricks," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "On the Fourth of July, we're asking parents to steer clear of the circus to help hasten the day when elephants and other abused animals win their long-overdue freedom."
Late last year, Ringling Bros. paid the largest fine in circus history—$270,000—for violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
For more information, please visit PETA's website RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.