When Melissa “Vegan Mel” Sehgal of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) carried out her nude and caged protest against Ringling Bros. and Barnum N Bailey Circus late last month in Anaheim, a representative from event promoter Feld Entertainment was right there to counter activists' claims.
The back-and-forth was held in anticipation of the circus moving in to the Honda Center on Wednesday evening. To mark that blessed occasion, Feld Entertainment will hold an animal demonstration of its own that afternoon: an elephant bath for its largest entertainers.
But, wouldn't you know it, PETA-friendly Orange County People for Animals (OCPA) plan to attend opening night as well. Says an email blast to supporters, “We'll be back to demonstrate against the animal cruelty of the Ringling Brothers circus when they return to the Honda Center in Anaheim this July. Meet us on opening night, Wednesday, July 15, at 6 p.m. We'll meet at the corner of Katella and Douglas off the 57 Freeway and in front of the main entrances to the Honda Center. Bring your own signs; we'll provide signs and literature too-and offer OCPA anti-circus t-shirts.”
Speaking of literature, PETA directs those who want to know more about circus-elephant protection here.
The Ringling Bros. counterpoint is here.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.