|
More Uncaged sites:
Contact us:
Uncaged Campaigns,
5th Floor,
Alliance House,
9 Leopold Street,
Sheffield,
S1 2GY, UK
+44 (0) 114 272 2220
info@uncaged.co.uk
| |
inspiring Action for Animals
Global Boycott Procter & Gamble Day X
Saturday 20th May 2006 marked the tenth anniversary of the annual
Day of Action, and saw actions in towns and cities across the world.
For this anniversary, Uncaged embarked on a series of sensational publicity
events to create a massive buzz around the campaign. We kicked off by projecting
the stark message - 'PROCTER & GAMBLE
TEST ON ANIMALS' - in 15ft high letters across the world-famous,
iconic 'Angel of the North' sculpture on Tyneside, North-East England,
where the company's 'Global Business Services Centre' is located. The
massive slogan was unmissable for miles around.
We followed up with the unveiling of two stunning mobile
billboards which toured Britain for a week, taking in busy cities
such as London, Manchester and Newcastle, and reaching hundreds of
thousands of consumers with the Boycott P&G message.
WORLDWIDE EVENTS
In 2006 over 130 separate 'Boycott P&G'
events took place across the UK, and a further 35 (at least) in nations
spanning the world - including the USA, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand,
Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Israel, Croatia,
Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and many more - as campaigners
alerted the international community to P&G's
animal testing practices. This annual Day of Action has grown in size
every year since its inception 10 years ago. In 2006 it was the biggest
yet, and the largest Day of Action of its type in the world!
DAY OF ACTION REPORT
Uncaged's 10th Global Day of Action against Procter & Gamble's animal
testing was a hugely inspirational event, with thousands of campaigners
around the world helping to spread the "Boycott P&G" message
to millions more people.
The campaign is rapidly growing following
Uncaged's exposure of yet more cruel and lethal animal
tests by P&G and a series of imaginative publicity events. Our inquiries
have revealed that P&G continue to subject thousands of innocent
animals to tests for trivial products, and are pushing to carry out
more tests, where:
- detergents are rubbed into raw skin
- animals are forced to breath in huge quantities of tiny particles
in tests for make-up ingredients
- new chemicals for cosmetics are injected down animals' windpipes
- animals are genetically mutated so they suffer lung damage in further test
for 'biological' washing powders
- animals die of thirst and shock due to a lack of basic care in laboratories
This appalling evidence of brutality and greed has motivated compassionate
consumers to stand up for animals by boycotting P&G products such
as Ariel, Daz, Fairy, Max Factor, Olay, Pantene Pro-V, Herbal Essences,
and Head and Shoulders. Every pound, dollar and euro that P&G lose
puts more pressure on them to stop their wanton cruelty.
GREATEST GLOBAL PROTEST
The Day of Action saw a record number of Boycott campaigns.
With over 130 separate events, ranging from protests, campaign stalls,
leafleting, supermarket protests and more, all across the UK.
There were several events
across the USA (co-ordinated by our friends at Stop
Animal Exploitation Now), France (organised by International
Campaigns), New Zealand (organised
by Save Animals From Exploitation - SAFE),
and Australia. There were also events, including some imaginative and
attention grabbing street theatre, in: Ireland, Belgium,
Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Israel, Croatia, Russia,
Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and South Africa.
Activists in Croatia created some imaginative props in order to get
their message home in the centre of the capital, Zagreb.
Meanwhile, in Belgium, activists from BiteBack dressed as lab animals
and a vivisector got into the grounds of P&G's HQ in Strombeek-Bever,
Brussels, and displayed banners against the vivisection policy of P&G
in front of the buildings. The national Belgian wire service, a national
newspaper, and the website of the Dutch political organisation Party
for the Animals covered the demo; and Marianne of BiteBack did an interview
for Belgian Radio 2.
Tens of thousands of Boycott P&G leaflets were distributed
globally, including over 40,000 in every corner of the UK and Ireland. The Boycott
P&G carrier bags have been particularly popular with over 5,500 of
the bags distributed up to and on P&G Day - and demand for
them continues to grow. We now have an army of compassionate shoppers
using these bags in supermarkets and shops across the UK alerting other
shoppers to the Boycott P&G message. Most importantly many actions
were reported or previewed in local media ensuring that thousands more
people discovered the unsavoury truth about P&G's cruel animal
testing.
Over 100 letter-writing packs were sent out to
supporters and activists, containing sample letters to send to P&G, organisations that support
or promote P&G (eg. the Kennel Club, Manchester Dogs Home, Guide
Dogs for the Blind), and to the letters pages of newspapers, magazines,
websites etc. The result was a great deal of free publicity for the Boycott
P&G message when these letters were published, and increased pressure
on offending organisations, and P&G, to do the right thing.
We also had the Boycott P&G mobile
billboards touring the country from 15th to 20th May - starting in Weybridge,
Surrey before touring Surrey/South East London, spending two days in
both Manchester, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The giant posters attracted
a huge amount of attention and comment. We 'unveiled' the 'Ad Van',
with the help of several giant bunnies, in Weybridge (where P&G
have a HQ) and at P&G's sites in Manchester
and Newcastle.
The unveilings attracted a great deal of radio and print
media. We then had stalls and leafleting drives in these areas in order
to maximise the impact of the Ad Van. It is estimated that 80,000 people
see the Ad Van and it's message every day - meaning an amazing
480,000 saw the Boycott P&G posters over the leading up to (and including)
Global Boycott P&G Day X.
Many thanks to Kaye Wotherspoon who helped publicise the AdVan in Surrey
at the start of the tour; and also to John Brown
and Stockport Animal Defenders, who conducted the stalls and leafleting in Manchester City
Centre after the unveiling.
Dozens of animal rights, animal protection and animal welfare websites,
personal 'Blog' sites, and online forums all over the world
helped to publicise the Day of Action. Uncaged articles, opinion pieces,
lists of products, photos of our Angel of the North protest, and our
website banners were posted on sites in a multitude of languages.
On the Boycott section of urban75
website the Global Boycott P&G
campaign climbed to Number 3 in their top boycott chart (only behind
Esso and Shell - but above the huge Nestle boycott and boycott
Nike campaigns!).
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this
the biggest and best Global Boycott P&G Day yet.
GLOBAL BOYCOTT P&G DAY X PHOTO GALLERY
Activists in Bournemouth & Louise of Manchester
Animal Protection arranged a series of supermarket protests
in several stores in Bournemouth and Manchester, respectively.
There were dozens of campaign stalls taking place across the
UK, like Rosie and Gera Collins & Herne Bay Animal
Rights in Canterbury. Many were helped
by animal costumes and props, such as the stall organised by Jan
Yarker of
Passive Pressure in Bromley, Kent.
More animal costumes and props from Martin Fox
and Sharon Howe of Exeter Friends For Animals in Exeter, Devon.
Most of the stalls had a great response from the public, like Georgina Peacock & Barbara Croston's
(with help from Anna, Gail and daughter, Roy, Pat, and Alison)
in Weston-Super-Mare. However, several campaigners had to brave
some atrocious weather, like Kerry Lewis in Wolverhampton. Some campaigners,
like Sue May & Bradford Animal Rights in Hebden Bridge went on a
big leaflet drop after the weather put paid to plans for a stall.
New Zealand animal rights group SAFE organised protests in Auckland,
Wellington and Hamilton. Massive clothes-lines were strung up in the
town centres and P&G's 'dirty washing' was hung up in public for all to
see.
Lena Maroueva and Russian groups VITA staged very eye-catching
protests in front of P&G's offices in Moscow.
VITA protest outside P&G's offices in Moscow, Russia.
West Lothian Animal Rights conducted a Boycott P&G stall a week
later, after atrocious weather on 20 May forced them off the streets
of Edinburgh. There was also a Boycott P&G event in Northern
Ireland.
In Swindon 'Bunny Girls' Nicky and Anish helped Swindon Animal
Concern's Boycott P&G Day event make the local newspapers.
Lancaster Animal Rights Group held a very successful stall in Lancaster
Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania (Australia) had an
information table at the local market in Hobart. Members handed
out P&G flyers and Preferred Product Lists through the market.
Animal Rights Collective of Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) reported:
'On the day, four of us dressed as lab animals (dog, cat, bunny and mouse),
one as a P&G vivisector, and the five of us performed a "debate". The "P&G
vivisector" tried to fool the audience with false claims while the "animals" challenged
her with the facts about P&G, embarrassing the "vivisector" and
educating our audience as to the brutality and deception of P&G.
It was well-received, with many people showing interest and quite a few encouraging
remarks and applause. We performed our skit continuously for two hours
whilst two more ARCH members were in charge of our information table
offering literature on P&G and compassionate shopping alternatives.'
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this the biggest and
best Global Boycott P&G Day yet.
Related links:
Uncaged Campaigns 29.06.06 |
