PETA protesters give Canadian-syrup boycott their seal of approval

I'm guessing the Canadian consulate in Denver, at 1625 Broadway, isn't a frequent location for major protests -- but that changed yesterday, when PETA representatives chose it as the place to complain about Canadian seal harvests. Their approach? Dress up someone in a seal costume, bust a bottle of "bloody...

By Michael Roberts

August 20, 2009

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I'm guessing the Canadian consulate in Denver, at 1625 Broadway, isn't a frequent location for major protests -- but that changed yesterday, when PETA representatives chose it as the place to complain about Canadian seal harvests. Their approach? Dress up someone in a seal costume, bust a bottle of "bloody syrup" -- maple syrup is one of Canada's most lucrative exports -- and then have participants chant, "Buy American! Boycott Canadian Maple Syrup." Plenty of PETA protesters rally naked: Why not your pancakes?

Look below for PETA's account about the whys and wherefores of the syrup dumping.

PETA Urges People to 'Buy American!' Despite PM Harper's Bellyaching at North American Leaders' Summit

Washington -- Following Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's complaints about President Obama's "buy American" provisions in the U.S. economic stimulus package, PETA dumped a giant bottle full of "bloody syrup" outside the Canadian Consulate in Denver today to protest Canada's annual seal slaughter. The protesters chanted, "Buy American! Boycott Canadian Maple Syrup."

PETA is calling on consumers to boycott Canadian maple syrup because the government has ignored the worldwide outcry over the seal slaughter. The annual massacre has been condemned by people as diverse as Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, and members of the European Union (EU). (The EU recently banned all Canadian seal products.)

"We want consumers to buy American maple syrup only because there's nothing 'sweet' about a country that condones the largest annual massacre of marine mammals on the planet," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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