Anti-Fur, Karma & Knightsbridge. Saturday 1st December 2007 I got here to London primarily to {photograph} the Nationwide Anti-fur march, however arrived quite early and took a stroll round Knightsbridge and Hyde Park and after the march went on to see what was taking place in Oxford Avenue and Regent Avenue the place there was a traffic-free day to advertise what the Church of Cease Purchasing labels the Shopocalypse and stoke international warming. However I used to be warmed just a bit by free hugs from Danny’s Karma Military.
Nationwide Anti-fur March – Belgrave Sq. – Harrods, Knightsbridge
Though farming of animals for fur was banned on this nation in 2003, each fur farming and intensive trapping of untamed animals for fur nonetheless happen in different nations.
Most of the nations the place fur farming nonetheless takes place enable way more merciless practices than people who led to the ban right here on the grounds of animal cruelty. Animals are reared in extraordinarily crowded situations and killed inhumanely – and on some farms skinned whereas nonetheless alive.
Trapping of animals for his or her fur additionally entails merciless practices, with wild animals caught in metal jawed traps, usually solely discovered and clubbed or suffocated after a number of days of agonising ache. Nonetheless in use within the USA and Canada, leg-hold traps had been banned within the UK within the Fifties.
But regardless of this it stays authorized to import most furs into the UK, though imports of seal, cat and canine fur are banned. However the UK nonetheless imports £55 million price of fur a yr, and estimated 95% of which comes from fur farms. The federal government deserted guarantees to usher in laws although they’ve now acknowledged a willingness to help a personal members invoice on the matter ought to one be promoted. It appears unlikely that this can occur earlier than the approaching election.
Public opinion could be very a lot towards the usage of animal fur, with opinion polls displaying over 90% want to see a ban. And most shoppers now suppose that fur on clothes is artificial, however lots of the huge names in style and style shops are nonetheless designing with and promoting animal fur. Their rich purchasers, together with many abroad clients maybe nonetheless see costly animal furs as one thing to need quite than appropriately, a badge of disgrace.
The marchers gathered in Belgrave Sq. after which marched previous lots of the retailers which in 2007 had been nonetheless promoting clothes utilizing animal furs, which then included many of the well-known names together with Gucci, Versace, Fendi, Amani, Dolce and Gabana. Varied shops, together with Escada, Joseph and Burberry are additionally targets for the marketing campaign, however the loudest condemnation was reserved for Harrods, the one division retailer within the UK nonetheless promoting fur – and nonetheless promoting animal fur in 2023.
Protests like this one and the persevering with stress from organisations comparable to PETA have led to lots of thes manufacturers finish the usage of animal furs. A submit on Panaprium lists some who now not accomplish that: “Versace, Furla, Armani, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Shrimps, and Vivienne Westwood” and likewise excessive avenue manufacturers “Topshop, Zara, Hole, French Connection, AllSaints, Hobbs, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Home of Fraser, Ted Baker, H&M and Whistles“.
However there may be nonetheless extra to do. The Panaprium submit by Alex Assoune is headed 28 Shameless Style Manufacturers Nonetheless Utilizing Fur in 2023 and lists them, in addition to stating “There are too many style manufacturers that use animal fur to listing all of them. It’s shockingly disgusting that clothes manufacturers nonetheless interact in such barbaric practices for vainness and income.”
I’d usually walked previous St Paul’s Church in Wilton Place, a nineteenth century Gothic constructing (erected in 1840, however a lot altered 50 years later) however had by no means earlier than been inside. I’d arrived in Belgrave Sq. quite a very long time earlier than the anti-fur march was prepared to begin and because the church as open took the chance to go inside.
The constructing is price a go to, not least for the fascinating sepia tile photos by Daniel Bell courting from 1869-79.
I crossed to Hyde Park, the place there was an in depth funfair for the Christmas season and I wandered by it taking a couple of photos earlier than hurrying again to the march, stopping to take a few photos of the French Embassy.
Danny’s Karma Military – Taking Kindness Very Critically – Regent St / Oxford St
Again in 2001, Scottish comic and presenter Danny Wallace put an advert in a free newspaper name on folks to ‘Be part of Me’ inviting folks to hitch him in finishing up a random act of kindness for a stranger each Friday. To his shock 1000’s did and in 2003 he wrote the e book ‘Be part of Me’ about how he he “by accident began a ‘cult‘” .
Initially generally known as ‘Be part of Me’ this motion grew to become generally known as Danny’s Karma Military, and on December 1st 2007, a few of them had been out on Regent Avenue which along with Oxford Avenue was having fun with a traffic-free day for consumers.
As I wrote in 2007:
There have been a couple of avenue performers and musicians, however typically it appeared a recipe for unimaginable ranges of boredom and excessive spending, with one bank card firm providing particular prizes to huge spenders.
The one aid from this was provided by members of Danny’s Karma Military who had been providing free sweets and free hugs – and I took benefit of each in addition to some photos.
They do “random good issues for strangers on Fridays” however had been placing in a little bit of additional time on a Saturday. In addition to quite foolish and pointless issues, some additionally apparently do quite extra helpful issues like changing into first-aiders and supporting charities with cash or time. So though personally I’d run a mile from a cult chief like Danny, good luck to them. And thanks for the sweets and hugs.
You possibly can hear extra about Danny Wallace in a podcast interview with James O’Brien and listen to Wallace now each week when “The Nice Chief and his I.B.S (Necessary Broadcast Squad) assemble each Sunday morning from 11am – 1pm!” on an Apple Podcast Radio X, additionally accessible stay on DAB.
This entry was posted on Friday, December 1st, 2023 at 09:17 am and is filed underneath LondonPhotos, My Personal Work, Political Points. You possibly can observe any responses to this entry by the RSS 2.0 feed.
