Victory: Selfridges take on "No Fur" policy

CAFT | 20.05.2005 12:06 | Animal Liberation | London

After a year-long campaign against their involvement in the fur trade, fashion retailers Selfridges have declared that they have stopped selling fur in their stores.

On the 19th May, Selfridges confirmed that they have now stopped selling all real fur. A year long campaign saw the various Selfridges stores being picketed, a concerted customer complaints campaign, and associated actions. This is another in a long line of victories for grassroots activists against the fur trade and a great blow to the attempts by their barbaric industry to make the wearing of fur fashionable again.

Here is a transcript of Selfridges' policy:

17 May 2005

CHANGE TO FUR POLICY

BACKGROUND

Selfridges has reviewed its policy on fur and will no longer be selling any fur products in its stores. This will come into force with immediate effect.

This policy revision was made after taking into account customer feedback and a decline in demand for fur related products.

The official statement for the revised policy is as follows:

Selfridges Fur Policy

"Selfridges does not sell fur in any of its stores."

CAFT
e-mail: caft@caft.org.uk
Homepage: http://www.caft.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 12 comments

I've always thought it strange

21.05.2005 08:51

that no animal rights groups seem to be bothered about the ritual slaughter of thousands of animals every day by UK abattoirs run according to the rules of the Jewish and Muslim religions. I get the feeling that these groups choose their enemies carefully. A few affluent housewives are easy to influence, but other people are not so pliable. Why do we hear so little from animal rights protesters about a method of slaughter that is illegal if carried out in most UK slaughter houses? Perhaps the protesters have no desire to face foes who treat their opponents in a robust manner. Salman Rushdie springs to mind. The day I see animal rights protesters giving the Huntingdon Life Science treatment to Jewish and Muslim abattoirs will be the day I'm convinced they really care about animals and are not just adolescent rebels determined to be noticed.

jan

Well done CAFT & Selfridges

21.05.2005 09:06

Firstly well done to CAFT and all their supporters in London, Birmingham and Manchester.Their efforts are a testament to the fact that public protest works and can make a difference.

And congratulations to Selfridges also, even if, as many will say it was only because it was hurting their profits. Compare their approach with EDO who, faced with equally legitimate protest hire slimy lawyers to seek injunctions to ban protests that alert staff and locals to their evil business.

mini mouse

clarification

21.05.2005 11:54

Currently, VIVA are running a campaign against religious slaughter -

http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigns/ritual_slaughter/

However, the reason people don't go around protesting against that particular thing, is that they are spending their time protesting against other types of cruelty. You can always say 'Why don't you protest against X, Y or Z?' Someone will be doing that, but there is a lot that needs doing - so rather than writing notes about the lack of protest on that particular issue, why not start a campaign? Just go and protest at your local offender?

fredrico
mail e-mail: musteatvegan@yahoo.co.uk

Well.

22.05.2005 11:25

Well I'm not going to protest against Muslims because then people will tell me I hate Muslims. And I'm not going to protest against Jews because then people will tell me I hate Jews.

Quite understandable really isn't it.

anon

Also

22.05.2005 11:27

How easy can it really be to force someone to abandon their religion. Especially by protesting - that's just going to make them more determined.

Let's just hope that religion eventually fades away and the whole world becomes atheist. I'd give it about 250 years though...

anon

The misinformed or the biggotted

22.05.2005 13:46

Jan seems to be under the misapprehension that halal/kosher slaughter is in some way more cruel than other forms of slaughter. This is either a case of someone being grossly misinformed or a case of someone with a particular agenda against other cultures. The myth of humane slaughter is one of the biggest barriers there are in the struggle to end the barbaric meat and dairy industry. This is why us animal liberation activists attack all areas of the industry not just those of a particular culture.

an activist

Mis-informed

23.05.2005 08:57

Well done re Selfridges.

I am a vegi and also Jewish.

There were many years in my life before I was vegitarian and I used to eat kosher meat.

Jan, you are mis-informed. Both Kosher and Halal rules state that the animal must be killed with the least pain possible. That is why the animals rarely bellow.

The non kosher/halal way is far more cruel, where an animal is struck first, often the victim is not stunned and will be put in great pain.

Whilt I agree that all meat is produced cruely, you should not single out Islam and Judaism as the cruelest.

A Vegi

Ludicrous

23.05.2005 18:01

So A-Vegi says that Jews and Muslims kill their animals with as little pain as possible. Well, if my pet cat gets so ill it has to be put down, I'll take it to the vet for an injection. I will not be slittng its throat with a sharp knife. No liberal minded 'animal rights' protester wants to get involved with the Jews and Muslims over their slaughter methods because liberal minded people are terrified of being thought racist or anti-ethnic. Concern for animals is a way these 'activists' show that they are caring people, and they 'respect' and 'celebrate' cultural practices even when they are barbaric. The gruesome deaths of thousands of animals counts as nothing if it puts one's politically correct credentials at risk. 'Animal rights' is a hobby, and campaigning for an end to cruel slaughter would not be as enjoyable as waving a few banners outside a posh shop or intimidating nice middle-class employees of HLS. The ghost of the Rushdie fatwa haunts us.

jan

Listen you silly person

24.05.2005 08:25

THe comment said that slaughter of all meat is wrong;

You should not target specific religions but the industry as a whole.

By targetting religions (about which yu know bugger all) you leave all genuine anti-meat protestors open to criticism.

Non religious slaughter is as bad as religious slaughter

Grow up and do it properly

XXX

If

24.05.2005 21:52

the religous right in the US killed their animals without stunning them first, and the Jews and Muslims did stun them first, we'd never hear the end of it from the 'activists'. Some people are above criticism, some aren't.

jan

do something about it then...

11.06.2005 15:21

Jan, rather than making pointless, unintelligent, unresearched comments on indymedia, why don't you go and do something about it. Get some friends who support you, and go and hold demos.

Enough Talk, Time for Action.

fredrico
mail e-mail: musteatvegan@yahoo.co.uk

For jan

07.06.2006 21:03

So Jan,

You think the animal rights movement is legitimate...only if they protest about Jewish and Mulsim methods of slaughter.

I know someone who has spent 10 years campaining against fur - hardly a rebellious hobby.

But, IN YOUR OPINION, they aren't genuine because they've never done the abbatoirs.

Get a life, you ignoramus.

darren