To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Steve Thompson. Currently I am helping the Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society (www.seashepherd.org) with organizing the upcoming
protest against the Taiji Dolphin slaughter in Japan (please see the virus
free pdf attachment). This worldwide protest is coming up fast and we at the
Sea Shepherd are hoping to organize as many people as possible to attend our
peaceful demonstration.
Please see the attached Word document, it contains the official Sea Shepherd
press release which provides details on our upcoming International Day of
Protest.
Where:
Consulate General of Japan at Vancouver
800 - 1177 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC.
V6E 2K9
When:
Friday, November 19th, 2004 from 11:30am until 2:00pm local time
We will be meeting in front of 1177 West Hastings Street at 11:15am on the
19th. If you are planning on attending please dress warmly and bring
drinking water along. If you have a Sea Shepherd shirt we would be grateful
if you could wear it to the event. Homemade signs will be welcome (no
profanity please).
As mentioned above our goal is to get as many people as possible to come out
for this protest. Numbers speaks volumes and is the best way to get across
to the Japanese government that the world will not tolerate this sort of
blatant cruelty. If you believe it is wrong to slaughter tens of thousands
of defenseless Dolphins to satisfy someone's palate then make your voice
heard! The few hours spent at the protest will be more valuable than you
could possibly imagine. Your organization needs you!
If you have any questions please call our office in Friday Harbor,
Washington at: 360-370-5650. I can also be reached locally on my cell phone
at: 604-908-7566.
Best regards,
Steve Thompson
Sea Shepherd Member
Attachment:
Immediate Release: Sea Shepherds Contacts:
November 17, 2004 Captain Paul Watson 310.701.3096
Michael Moore 360.370.5650
ACTIVISTS GATHER AT JAPANESE CONSULATE TO URGE END TO
CRUEL DOLPHIN SLAUGHTER IN TAIJI
Members of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Join Worldwide Day of Protest Against Annual Bloodbath
Vancouver, BC—Holding signs reading, “Japan Stop Killing Dolphins,’’ members of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society join in a day of international protests against Japan’s mutilation and killing of over 23,000 dolphins and small whales.
Date: Friday, November 19
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Place: Consulate General of Japan
800 1177 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC
Each year thousands of dolphins—including mothers with new born calves who call out in distress as they are separated—are driven onto Japanese beaches and bays, stabbed with spears and knives, then left to slowly bleed to death literally turning the sea red while others drown entangled in nets. Some of the dolphins are taken alive, pulled out of the water by ropes tied around their tails to be sold to marine parks.
Video footage taken by Sea Shepherd crews from last year’s mass slaughter that shows dying dolphins struggling in a red-stained bay—the same bay where Sea Shepherd successfully freed 15 dolphins from a net during the 2003 hunt—caused so much embarrassment for the Japanese government that Sea Shepherd is now banned from approaching any areas where dolphins are killed. In fact, massive blue tarps and white blinds were erected in an attempt to hide the vicious attacks on the sensitive dolphins from public view or further documentation. To combat this, Sea Shepherd has offered a $10,000 reward to encourage people, including citizens of Japan, to document the killings this year. The cash prize will be rewarded for the most graphic footage. Sea Shepherd will deliver an International Petition demanding that the Japanese government stop this slaughter and has created a one-minute Public Service Announcement (PSA) featuring Academy Award winning actress Susan Sarandon that is currently airing across the nation.
“It is a bloodbath, cruel and barbaric,” says Sea Shepherd founder, Captain Paul Watson. “Each year, the idyllic and peaceful setting of the village of Taiji is shattered by almost unspeakable abuses as incredible pain and ultimate death is inflicted on defenseless dolphins.”
For more information or to view the PSA, please visit Sea Shepherd’s Web site www.seashepherd.org. Demonstrations will be held at Japanese embassies and consulates around the world including 13 cities in the U.S. For a list of protest cities, visit: http://www.seashepherd.org/taiji/taiji_worldwide_protest.html.