It was a strange protest, but more than that, it was an entertaining one.
Unlike times when protest songs echoed through a mass of protestors, this protest was quiet - and had a creamy filling.
During Prime Minister's Stephen Harper's visit to St. John's, a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protestor was ready to voice her anger outside a hotel where the prime minister was slated to talk to Premier Danny Williams.
The protestor, Emily Lavender, was dressed in a seal costume armed with a sign that read "Harper Stop the Seal Slaughter." Suddenly, the protestor was approached by a person dressed as a Newfoundland dog, and shenanigans ensued. First, the mascot pulled Ms. Lavender around, tripping her in the process. Second, the seal head of the costume came flying off. The mascot helped Ms. Lavender to her feet, and in the process, pied the protestor before running down the street.
Before that, however, Ms. Lavender had to deal with another prank. A man dressed in a large seal costume stood next to her, but unfortunately for Ms. Lavender, the costumed-man wasn't there to support the same cause. The man peeled off the costume to reveal a t-shirt with the logo of a radio station on the front. While the gathered media interviewed Ms. Lavender, the man danced in the background. The radio station had apparently called PETA beforehand wanting to aid in the protest.
Earlier in the week, PETA took credit for pieing Fishieries Minister Gail Shea in the face.
To her credit, Ms. Lavender took the joking in stride, and said, "That's OK, I'll take a pie in the face any day to save a seal."
Actually, the pieing of Ms. Lavender never saved a seal, but her protesting spirit has to be applauded. It's not easy protesting alone, and protesting the seal hunt in Newfoundland, alone, is downright brave.
However, the question of whether or not the mob mentality of bullying Ms. Lavender when she's alone is admirable. Nobody came to her rescue, so it's safe to say she was the lone PETA member at the scene. Then again, would a mob of PETA members commit similar acts if they came across a lone seal hunt activist?
Then again, if you take a piece of meat away from a starving lion, the lion will react accordingly. Therefore, if PETA wants to ban the seal hunt, and protest its views in a province where many people depend on the hunt, the people will attack accordingly.
Therefore, the people responsible for "embarrassing" Ms. Lavender shouldn't be criticized for the mob-like "attack" on the lone protestor. It's PETA that should take the blunt of the blame for not organizing a better protest. If a lone hyena tries to steal meat from a herd of lions, then the obvious painful consequences are the fault of the hyena, and definitely not the lions.
Although Ms. Lavender should be considered courageous for standing up for her beliefs, her fellow PETA members should be scorned for allowing a fellow soldier to go to battle alone.
info@ganderbeacon.ca
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