PETA founder held in India over bullfight protest

[maddezmom]

CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - Police arrested the head of the animal rights group PETA for a breach of public peace and insulting religious feelings while protesting against a bullfighting festival in south India, officials said on Friday.

~snip~

Police said Newkirk was held on charges of breaching public peace, hurting religious sentiments and damaging statues after she entered a park in Coimbatore town and put a cloth around the eyes of Gandhi's statue.

She then hung a placard saying: "Reject cruel sport jallikattu." She was released on bail.

Newkirk told Reuters she did not mean any disrespect to Gandhi but blindfolded his statue to symbolically shield him from the cruelty of the sport.

~snip~

India's animal welfare board has also criticized the festival saying men beat the animals and throw burning chilli powder in their eyes, ears and mouth to enrage them.


more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080118/ts_nm/india_peta_bulls_dc

Jallikattu issue: PETA chief arrested

Friday, January 18, 2008 (Theni)
Coimbatore police have booked People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) chief Ingrid Newkirk for attempting to blindfold a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the city in protest against the apex court allowing jallikattu.

PETA legal affairs coordinator NG Jayasimha has also been booked for helping Newkirk.

The PETA activists have said they were only trying to draw attention to the fact that cruelty to animals and events like jallikattu should not happen in the land of Gandhi.

~snip~

The Supreme Court had on January 12 banned the tradition of jallikattu, the taming of bull ritual, in Tamil Nadu, but later allowed it keeping public sentiment in mind.

It, however, asked the administration to be extra vigilant, photo-record all events, put up two layers of barricades to separate spectators from the animals and ensure emergency medical facilities.

more:http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080038843&ch=1/18/2008%204:22:00%20PM

[blondeatlast]

1. Two vastly different approaches to the story there. Guess why I trust overseas media

more than our own? and I'm no PETA fan, but I call MSM spin out when I see it.

K&R for a great example of media sensationalism.

[loser_user]

2. When you violate another country's laws...

This is what you get. They should have known better in India, though I think Newkirk is the same person who wants her body to be BBQed when she dies.

[The Stranger]

5. What is it with Reactionary posting around here?

It is a PROTEST. It often involves "violating laws."

[flvegan]

3. PETA and religion in one thread? Hold on...

:popcorn:

Now, where were we...

[NeedleCast]

4. It's like a Primaries thread with guns...