PETA activists stage protest against leather fair in Delhi

NEW DELHI - Wearing body suits splattered in red and masks of a cow and a horse, activists of an animal rights group painted a gory picture of animal slaughter to protest the international leather fair that begun in the capital Friday.

Talking about the protest, Akraprava Bhar, one of the organisers of the protest, said their aim was to sensitise people about animal cruelty and to raise awareness that leather is dead skin.

“The three-day international leather fair started in Delhi today (Friday) and our aim is to raise awareness on how animals are treated before they are turned into leather shoes, bags and other products. We encourage shoppers to choose synthetic and natural-fibre materials instead of animal skin,” Bhar told IANS.

The protest was held in Pragati Maidan, the venue as the leather fair.

To drive their point home as vividly as they could, two activists of the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) group dressed as a “skinned cow” and a “skinned horse” and slept in an open show box which had tags of well known leather products.

“The message was that animals are skinned and killed for leather products like shoes,” Bhar said.

Besides the scene enacted, other activists stood shouting slogans and holding placards with messages like “Leather is evil” and “Leather is murder”.