By ROBYN STUBBS, 24 HOURS

November 20, 2006

The Bebe store on Robson Street shut down for a couple of hours yesterday, thanks to an anti-fur protest by Liberation B.C.

On the heels of her internationally known Asian tour against the fur trade, Ashley Fruno was back at it in Vancouver this weekend - this time creating her own window display at Bebe. She and three other protesters walked into the store just after noon and took over an entire display window with a banner reading 'Death fur sale.'

Eventually, the store shut its doors while staff awaited police, keeping the foursome indoors with their banner while supporters passed out anti-fur fliers on the street outside. "It's a store that targets young people, so we feel there's a social responsibility there to not sell fur," said Fruno before the protest.

Before shutting its doors, Bebe store managers told 24 hours that they had no problem with protesters, but since the store is a place of business, Fruno and her friends were not welcome inside.

For Liberation B.C., the protest was a success - "at least we've impacted their bottom line today," said spokesperson Jan Olsen.

Please write and tell Bebe to go fur-free. It’s a cruel and brutal industry.

Online contact form: http://www.bebe.com/gp/contact/002-4389503-5307241