Report back from Shrine Circus Demonstrations

Advocating for the liberation of nonhuman animals incarcerated in circuses ~ thank you to ALL animal rights activists who joined in protest of Shrine Circus, this past weekend, in front of Blue Cross Arena in Rochester NY.

SARO members drove all the way from Syracuse to join us in protest Sunday.
Katie M sent out press releases: TV-10 interviewed us.
Kristine D was interviewed on TV-10, spoke on behalf of animals in the circus.
Riley did sword-swallowing, promoting *HUMAN* entertainment, not animal.
Felicity and Gerry provided ARA with new anti-circus posters.
I-Lois dressed clownesque and handed children coloring books (www.IDAusa.org).
Kathy C bought a ticket and went inside to see what animals were actually there.

Children of circus-goers appeared to be primarily under age-5. Attendance seemed extremely low Friday night and Saturday. However on Friday, that first evening (as Kathy C wrote), a clown and a cop who'd gone inside came out and told us there were no elephants, then said no animals at all. (IMHO, the circus' effort to appease us by lying about their reality, in hopes we'd leave - it didn't work.) It was then we decided one of our activists should go in and see for ourselves ... Kathy C sacrificed her time (and $6 for a ticket) ... THANK YOU, KATHY!! Indeed she DID see animals: bears, horses, dogs, tigers, and more. We later learned Shrine leased these animals from "Hawthorn Corp" who, in 2004, were brought up on animal cruelty charges by USDA, and by 2007 had turned all their elephants over to sanctuary (http://www.circuses.com/savelota.asp).

Sunday afternoon, too many circus-goers, and several cop cars (no hassles, just there). Some big burly circus guys tried to intimidate our activists by deliberately strutting back 'n forth where we stood, smoking a cigar, one even wearing a fur pelt! For everything we said to folks while leafletting, they came back with a quick "not true" (words to that effect). Important to ignore them, and stay focused on reaching circus-goers instead. We leafletted all coloring books, and ele-stickers, but difficult getting folks to take *adult* literature this time.

Glad we had so many AR activists come out for all 6-protests, avg 8-protestors/show. Also glad that, aside from Sunday, it seems interest in circuses with animals is decreasing.

Circuses Without Animals:
http://www.idausa.org/campaigns.html
http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=419&more=1

Advocate Daily For Animals,
Lois Baum, President
Animal Rights Advocates of Upstate NY
www.ARAUNY.org