Protesting for Minks in Utah

by Stephanie Ernst · 2009-11-12 06:44:00 UTC
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Thanks go to my friends at Food Fight! Grocery in Portland for the reminder on this one.

Morgan, Utah, is home to 15 active mink fur farms -- which makes it more entrenched in the abhorrent practice than any other U.S. community. And on Saturday, November 28, animal rights activists hope to make it the site of a major protest too: "For the first time, the animal rights movement will bring all the tears and rage for the millions killed every year for fur to the belly of the beast: Morgan, Utah. This convergence will climax in a one-mile march through the heart of this fur farm capital, past two of Morgan’s mink farms."

But Morgan County wants to put a damper on any protests; in the last couple months, it made some bold moves. First, it passed an ordinance prohibiting protesters from demonstrating within 1,000 feet of fur farms and the residences on them. Salt Lake animal advocate Colleen Hatfield had this to say in response:

"Just try to go to Morgan County and not be 1,000 feet from a fur farm ... Our route was too close to several fur farms so they redrew the route, and now we're basically standing in front of the police department."

The county is also trying to require the protest organizers to pay for law enforcement/security during the event -- to pay to have themselves policed -- at, reportedly, a cost of $40 per hour per officer.

The Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement has filed suit in response, on the basis of unconstitutionality and infringement on the right to free speech. Meanwhile, the November 28 march and protest are still scheduled to go on. So if you live in the area or feel like making a road trip, check in and keep updated at FurFreeUtah.com.

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Photo courtesy Empty Cages Gallery and The Animals Voice

Stephanie Ernst wrote the original Animal Rights blog at Change.org until December 2009. She can now be found at Animal Rights & AntiOppression.
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