This past Thursday, March 15, activists in various cities across the world heeded the call of AnimaNaturalis, a Spanish language web-based animal rights organization, and staged peaceful nude protests in front of Canadian embassies. The call for action was triggered by the pending seal hunt on Canada’s northeastern coast.
AnimaNaturalis objects to the Canadian Government sanctioned hunt both for its cruelty and extent. It’s estimated that 42% of seals are skinned while still alive. The 2007 “cull” is set at 350,000 animals, which the Canadian authorities justify as necessary due to an excessive seal population that threatens the local cod fishery.
Protesters in front of Canadian embassies in the Spanish cities of Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga, as well as Mexico City, Santiago (Chile), Caracas (Venezuela), and Guayaquil (Ecuador) generally stripped-off their clothing and smeared themselves with red paint, then lay on the ground in order to symbolize the cruelty of the hunt.