Greenpeace stages protest at Mattel office over Barbie packaging

[Roland99]

Source: LA Times

Environmentalists have launched a global campaign against Mattel Inc., the world's largest toy company, as part of a decade-long effort to force multinational corporations to purge their operations of any links to rain forest destruction.

On Tuesday, Greenpeace activists in turquoise vests rappelled down the face of the company's 15-story headquarters in El Segundo and hung a giant banner depicting a frowning Ken doll with the message: "Barbie: it's over. I don't date girls that are into deforestation."

El Segundo police arrested 10 protesters, including a woman dressed as Barbie in pink and blue Spandex who was driving a bright pink skip loader a half a block from the scene. As firetrucks arrived, Mattel employees crowded around windows, taking photos with their cellphones.

Greenpeace is accusing Mattel of packaging Barbie and other toys with paper from hardwoods taken from Indonesian rain forests, a haven for some of Earth's most endangered species, including orangutans, tigers, elephants and leopards.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/asia/la-fi-greenpeace-mattel-20110608,0,707097.story?track=rss

[meegbear]

1. Holy WTO Batman!

When the WTO was in Seattle, protesters trashed a bunch of stores; one was the toy store FAO Schwartz. On one of the walls of the store, someone spray painted "BARBIE KILLS".

[No Elephants]

2. So many products are overpackaged.