National Anti-Fur March and Rally leaves Belgrave Square with its banner
Several hundred turned up for the National March Against the Fur Trade in London on Saturday, Oct 17 2009, organised by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade. It was the start of National Anti-Fur Week with involves protests and street stalls against the fur trade around the country. Among the shops on the route of the march were Fendi, Gucci and Armani, Escada, Joseph, and Harrods, the only department store in the UK that still sells fur. It was a noisy, angry but not unruly demonstration, and while there was a large police presence (particularly around Harrods) the policing had a lighter touch than in recent years, though there was still a police FIT photographer taking a great many pictures. Police did this year allowed some leafleting on the streets as the demonstration went along, although the majority of marchers were kept on the road and prevented from handing them out. This does seem an arbitrary and unfair restriction on the right to protest - which the police have a duty to uphold. Many shoppers on the busy pavements - and those inside the shops we passed - did stop to watch, and most of those who did get leaflets seemed sympathetic. The climax of the event was outside Harrods, where the march stopped for a short address after which there was a minute of silence, followed by an impressive barrage of noise.
Size: 5040px × 3354px
Location: Knightsbridge, London, UK
Photo credit: © Peter Marshall / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: &, abolish, anger, animal, anti-fur, banner, chelsea, coalition, cruelty, fashion, fur, furs, harrods, kensington, knightsbridge, london, march, marchers, national, placards, protest, protesters, rally, rights, shops, trade, trimmings
