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Activists in 20 Cities Protest Adidas Over Kangaroo Slaughter

December 8, 2023 by Leave a Comment


The News

On December 2nd and 3rd, hundreds of animal rights activists in 20 cities staged protests at Adidas stores in support of a global effort to compel the sportswear company to stop using kangaroo skin in its soccer cleats. Australia’s Animal Justice Party, which is advocating for a ban on kangaroo slaughter in the Parliament, organized the global day of action in support of the Center for a Humane Economy’s “Kangaroos are Not Shoes” campaign. Advocacy groups staged protests in Australia, Canada, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States.

“Adidas states that it opposes the inhumane slaughter of kangaroos, but bludgeoning and orphaning a half-a-million joeys every year is the antithesis of humane,” said Jennifer Skiff, campaign director at the Center for a Humane Economy. “The global protest was a call on Adidas to uphold its pledge to operate humanely.“

Photo of commercial kangaroo hunt and Adidas soccer cleat made from kangaroo skin

Adidas claims that the leather used in its soccer cleats is sourced from kangaroos who are slaughtered humanely. The Center for a Humane Economy has provided the company with evidence demonstrating otherwise.

During the protests, participants read an Animal Justice Party manifesto decrying Adidas’s support of the kangaroo hunt: “Adidas, you have the power to change, to be on the right side of history. We are watching. The world is watching. We will hold you to account, and we will keep coming back until you stop killing kangaroos.”

@centerforahumaneeconomy

@adidas we are watching. The world is watching. kangaroosarenotshoes

♬ original sound – centerforahumaneeconomy – centerforahumaneeconomy

According to the Center for a Humane Economy, the nightly kangaroo hunt represents the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife in the world. Because Adidas is the only large shoe manufacturer still using kangaroo leather, the company is the primary target of animal rights groups.

Photo of 80 animal rights activists protesting Adidas in Sydney, Australia

During a protest at the Adidas store in Sydney, Australia, the Animal Justice Party called on the company to stop killing kangaroos to make soccer cleats

“Animals inhabit this planet with us, not for us,” said Edita Birnkrant, the Executive Director of NYCLASS, an organizer of the NYC protest. “When we learned that Adidas was paying hunters to slaughter kangaroos and steal their skin, advocates in New York wanted to join the global fight to protect them.”

“Our request is simple, and it’s fair,” said Donny Moss of TheirTurn.net, an organizer of the NYC protest. “We’re asking that Adidas join Nike, Puma, Diadora and New Balance in switching from kangaroo skin to cruelty-free materials, which are readily available to the company. With one call to his product development team, Adidas’s CEO Bjørn Gulden could put the wheels in motion to make this ethical upgrade.”

Photo of article in Yahoo News about the kangaroo skin protests at Adidas stores in Europe, Australia and the United States

During protests in Europe, Australia and the United States, animal rights activists called on Adidas to stop making soccer cleats out of kangaroo skin

In July, 2023, Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick re-introduced the Kangaroo Protection Act. If passed, the law would ban the importation and sale of kangaroo products in the United States. The state of California banned the import and sale of products made from kangaroos in 1971. In 2023, NY State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal introduced similar legislation.

@theirturn

See how #adidas customers, employees and the NYPD react to #kangaroosarenotshoes protest.

♬ original sound – Donny Moss

The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Justice Party assert that the #KangaroosAreNotShoes campaign, which is growing in size, scope and strength, will ultimately compel Adidas to replace “k-leather” with a cruelty-free alternative.


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‘Kangaroos Are Not Shoes’ Campaign Reaches Adidas’s Backyard in Germany

October 26, 2023 by Leave a Comment


The News

Inspired by protests in the United States and Australia, animal rights activists in Germany have joined the global campaign to compel sportswear giant Adidas, which is based in Germany, to stop making football cleats out of kangaroo skin. In the past two months, activists with Their Skin Hamburg have conducted six protests in Hamburg and Frankfurt.

“Adidas claims to source its materials in a humane manner, but the unnecessarily killing, traumatizing and bludgeoning defenseless kangaroos is cowardly, cruel and unbecoming of a brand that has the financial means to switch to synthetic, cruelty-free materials,” said Pantalaimon Sander of Their Skin Hamburg.We will continue to protest Adidas in its own backyard until the company announces an end to its use of kangaroo skin.”

Photo of Emma Hurst, Donny Moss and James Cromwell protesting at Adidas stores

Animal rights activists, including Australian Member of Parliament Emma Hurst and American actor James Cromwell, protest at Adidas over the company’s refusal to stop killing kangaroos to make football cleats.

In early 2022, the Center for a Humane Economy launched the Kangaroos Are Not Shoes campaign to help put a stop to the world’s largest commercial slaughter of land-based wildlife. Since then, the organization has worked with state and federal lawmakers in the United States to introduced bills that would ban the sale of kangaroo parts.

Photo of Kangaroos Are Not Shoes Campaign

In 2022, the Center for a Humane Economy launched the Kangaroos Are Not Shoes Campaign to curb the slaughter of wild kangaroos in Australia.

As part of the campaign, the Center for a Humane Economy has called on the largest football cleat manufacturers to switch from “k-leather” to cruelty-free materials. With Nike, Puma and New Balance announcing a kangaroo-free policies in 2023, Adidas becomes the last multinational sportswear company to continue using kangaroo skin.

Despite the growth of the #KangaroosAreNotShoes campaign, Adidas has made no indication that it plans to stop using kangaroo skin. In a recent letter to the Center for a Humane Economy, Adidas’s Senior Vice President of Sustainability Policy & Engagement, Frank Henke, defended the company’s decision, claiming that kangaroo slaughter is humane: “Adidas is opposed to kangaroos being killed in an inhumane or cruel manner…. Licensed operators must comply with a stringent code of practice which controls how they operate.”

Photo of Frank Henke, Senior VP of Adidas

Frank Henke, the Senior Vice President of Sustainability Policy & Engagement at Adidas, claims that his company “is opposed to kangaroos being killed in an inhumane or cruel manner,” yet Adidas continues to sell kangaroo skin football cleats despite the well documented proof that the kangaroo hunt is inhumane.

In response, the Center for a Humane Economy’s President, Wayne Pacelle, argued that the hunt is inherently inhumane: “The shoots result in the orphaning and killing of 300,000 – 500,000 joeys a year. In whose estimation could orphaning—resulting in either starvation or bludgeoning of the newborns—be considered humane? Assurances from the industry and the Australian government, relating to humane’ and sustainable’ practices associated with the hunt, are without any merit when one considers the all-consuming fear and suffering endured by the juveniles — first watching their mothers die, and then expiring in short order without maternal care. To simply say that the kill is regulated is an act of faith, not a matter of animal welfare science. Nor does it meet any kind of common-sense understanding of whats happening in the field in Australia.”

Photo of Adidas's policy surrounding the use of animals in their products

Despite the well documented cruelty associated with the commercial kangaroo hunt, Adidas claims to be opposed to kangaroos being killed in an inhumane or cruel manner.

As the Center for a Humane Economy attempts to reason with Adidas in the boardroom, grassroots organizers have pledged to continue confronting the company at its retail stores in the United States, Europe and Australia. Animal rights activists in the U.S. are also planning additional protests at Dick’s Sporting Goods, the country’s largest retail distributor of kangaroo skin cleats. That effort, dubbed #DontBeADicks, began with a disruption inside of a Dick’s store in New York City.


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In NYC, Hundreds Protest Nike’s Kangaroo Slaughter

August 30, 2022 by Leave a Comment


The News

Accompanied by a giant mobile billboard, several hundred animal rights activists descended upon the Nike store in Soho to protest the company’s use of kangaroo skin in its soccer shoes. It was the fourth and largest protest staged in New York City as part of the Center for a Humane Economy’s global #KangaroosAreNotShoes campaign. During two of the previous protests, activists disrupted business inside of the store, but NYPD officers and Nike security guards blocked the entrance as the activists who were participating in the 2022 Animal Rights March arrived at the store.

“Nike’s dirty little secret is that its commercial hunters chase down hundreds of thousands of kangaroos in the dark of night, shoot them in the head and steal their skin to make soccer shoes,” said Donny Moss of TheirTurn, an organizer of the NYC protest. “Instead of massacring innocent animals and using their skin as fabric, Nike should make the obvious switch to cruelty-free materials.”

Photo of a mobile billboard in NYC displaying video footage of commercial hunters in Australia shooting wild kangaroos for companies like Nike that use the animals' skin to make soccer shoes

A mobile billboard in NYC displays video footage of commercial hunters in Australia shooting wild kangaroos for companies like Nike that use the animals’ skin to make soccer shoes

The protest comes two weeks after the Los Angeles Times published an editorial calling on the California state government to enforce the law banning the sale of “k-leather” and encouraging consumers not to buy the contraband. “There are plenty of quality soccer shoes in material that doesn’t require killing kangaroos.” California is the only U.S. state to ban the sale of kangaroo products, including skin, but The Kangaroo Protection Act, federal legislation introduced in 2021, would ban the importation of kangaroo products into the entire country.

Photo of Los Angeles Times editorial calling on the government to enforce the state law banning the sale of kangaroo parts

The Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Times called on the state government to enforce the law banning the sale of kangaroo parts

The massacre of kangaroos in Australia represents the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife in the world. According to the Center for a Humane Economy, 70% of the approximately two million kangaroos killed each year for commercial purposes are used to make soccer shoes for sportswear companies like Nike.

Photo of animal rights activist protest Nike's use of kangaroo skin

During the 2022 Animal Rights March, hundreds of activists in New York City descended upon the Nike store in Soho to protest the company’s use of kangaroo leather. (photo: Lori Hillsberg)

Some of the female kangaroos who are shot have babies (joeys) in their pouches or by their side. Code dictates that hunters either decapitate or bludgeon to death the joeys who are in the pouches. The joeys who are not in their mother’s pouch often die slowly from exposure and predation. Each year, an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 joeys die during the nightly kangaroo hunt.

Photo of kangaroo joey in mother's pouch

Commercial hunters shoot and kill kangaroo mothers for Nike and other companies decapitate or bludgeon to death the joeys in their pouches

Animal rights activists in Los Angeles, Portland, where Nike is headquartered, and several Australian cities have also staged protests inside and outside of Nike stores.

Photo of an animal rights activist in Los Angeles protesting Nike's use of kangaroo skin

Animal rights activists with Los Angeles for Animals stage an anti-kangaroo skin protest at Nike’s Santa Monica store (photo: Cory Mac)

Several retailers, including Nordstrom, Gucci, Prada, and Versace, have stopped selling kangaroo skin products. Animal rights activists plan to continue protesting Nike and other clothing and shoe manufacturers that use kangaroo leather, including Adidas and Puma, until they remove it from their inventory voluntarily or a nationwide ban.

The Center for a Humane Economy, which is leading the #KangaroosAreNotShoes campaign, has a petition calling on Nike CEO John Donahoe to “stop profiting from the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife!”  Approximately 77,000 people have signed the petition to date.

Photo shows a petition calling on the CEO of Nike to stop slaughtering kangaroos

Center for a Humane Economy petition calling on Nike CEO John Donahoe to stop slaughtering kangaroos for soccer shoes

 


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Animal Rights Activists Disrupt Nike Flagship Store in NYC

August 5, 2022 by Leave a Comment


The News

Approximately 20 animal rights activists with NYCLASS and TheirTurn slipped past the four man security team at the entrance of Nike’s flagship store in New York City to protest the company’s ongoing use of kangaroo skin as a soccer shoe fabric. This was the third protest in New York since the Center for a Humane Economy launched the #KangaroosAreNotShoes campaign to pressure Nike into replacing “K leather” with a cruelty-free alternative.  

“Shooting wild kangaroos in the head after chasing them down in the dark of night is an act of terror,” said Donny Moss of TheirTurn.net, a NYC-based animal rights group that co-organized the protest. “How do Nike executives sleep at night knowing that they inflict so much pain and suffering on the kangaroos whose skin they steal?”

Once inside Nike’s multi-story store, the activists captured the attention of hundreds of shoppers by displaying posters, chanting and conducting speak outs about the massacre. Fearing for their jobs, the security guards who were hired to prevent the activists from entering the building in the first place pled with them to leave.

The New York Daily News announced the kangaroo skin protest at Nike

“Instead of hiring extra security in an effort to prevent in-store protests, Nike should stop engaging in the behavior that causes them,” said Edita Birnkrant, the Executive Director of NYCLASS, a NYC-based animal rights group that co-organized the protest. “As long as Nike makes sneakers out of kangaroos, we will keep disrupting business. That’s the least we can do for Nike’s victims.”

Customers inside of Nike’s flagship store in NYC watch as protests demand that Nike discontinue the use of kangaroo skin in its soccer shoes

The massacre of kangaroos in Australia represents the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife in the world. According to the Center for a Humane Economy, 70% of the approximately two million kangaroos killed each year for commercial purposes are used to make soccer shoes for sportswear companies like Nike.

The Guardian selected an image from the kangaroo skin protest at the Nike flagship store in NYC as one of it’s “Photos of the Day”

The Australian National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes governs the industry and sanctions this cruelty. An estimated 40% of kangaroos are shot in the neck or body instead of the head, in violation of the federal code, resulting in wounding and non-instantaneous death. Those who escape die slowly from their gunshot wounds. 

Nike kangaroo skin protest

Nike slaughters wild kangaroos to make soccer shoes out of their skin

Some of the females who are shot have babies (joeys) in their pouches or by their sides. Code dictates that hunters either decapitate or bludgeon to death the joeys who are in the pouches. The joeys who are not in their mother’s pouch often die slowly from exposure and predation. Each year, an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 joeys die during the nightly kangaroo hunt.

In Australia, hunters shoot wild kangaroos in the head, steal their skin and sell it to Nike, which uses it to make soccer shoes

The Center for a Humane Economy says that Nike rationalizes the mass slaughter of wild kangaroos by engaging in green washing and humane washing. According to Nike, “Suppliers must source animal skins from processors that use sound animal husbandry and humane animal treatment/slaughtering practices.” Activists say that hunting down wild animals who want to live in peace with their families is inherently inhumane.

After disrupting business inside of Nike’s flagship store in NYC, animal rights activists educated customers and pedestrians on Fifth Avenue about Nike’s massacre of kangaroos to make soccer shoes

The Kangaroo Protection Act, federal legislation introduced in 2021, would ban the importation of kangaroo products into the United States. Several retailers, including Nordstrom, Gucci, Prada, and Versace, have already stopped selling kangaroo skin products. The sale of kangaroo parts is banned in California.

New York City is one of many American and Australian cities participating in the global #KangaroosAreNotShoes campaign.


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Animal Rights Activists Disrupt Nike’s Flagship Store in NYC over Sale of Kangaroo Skin

March 17, 2022 by Leave a Comment


The News

Animal rights activists staged a disruption inside of Nike’s flagship store in New York City as part of a “Global Protest Day” against the company’s support of the mass slaughter of kangaroos for soccer shoes. Organized by the Center for A Humane Economy, a Washington-D.C.-based advocacy group leading a campaign to end the use of kangaroo leather, the protest called on Nike to stop hunting kangaroos and stealing their skin.

After chanting on megaphones for 30 minutes and distributing information to customers, the activists exited the store, with prodding by the NYPD, and unfurled a banner at the entrance – “NIKE PROFITS. KANGAROOS DIE.”  The protest continued on Fifth Avenue, where activists engaged with customers and pedestrians.

Animal rights activists with the Center for a Humane Economy, NYCLASS and TheirTurn protest Nike's use of kangaroo skin at the company's flagship store in Manhattan

Animal rights activists with the Center for a Humane Economy, NYCLASS and TheirTurn protest Nike’s use of kangaroo skin at the company’s flagship store in Manhattan

As part of the Global Protest Day, animal rights groups also staged #KangaroosAreNotShoes disruptions in Portland, Oregon, where Nike is headquartered, and in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide.

As part of the “Global Protest Day” against Nike’s support of the mass slaughter of kangaroos in Australia, animal rights activists in Portland staged a #KangaroosAreNotShoes protest at a Nike store near the company’s global headquarters.

The massacre of kangaroos in Australia represents the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife in the world. According to the Center for a Humane Economy, approximately two million kangaroos are killed each year for commercial purposes. Seventy percent of them are used to make soccer shoes.

Nike make soccer shoes from the skin of kangaroos in Australia who are hunted down at night and shot in the head

Animal rights groups argue that killing wild kangaroos is especially cruel because an estimated 40% of the victims don’t die instantly. In some cases, the wounded kangaroos escape and die slowly from the gunshot.

Each year, hunters in Australia kill an estimated approximately two million kangaroos for commercial purposes.

The mass killing has secondary victims. When mothers are shot, their babies (joeys) typically don’t die with them. In accordance with government guidelines, the hunters bludgeon them to death. Some of the babies escape, only to die slowly from exposure and predation. Each year, hundreds of thousands of joeys die during the nightly kangaroo hunt.

“Slaughtering mothers and their babies in the dark of night is an atrocity,” said Edita Birnkrant, the Executive Director the animal rights group NYCLASS and an organizer of the NYC disruption. “How do Nike executives sleep at night knowing how much pain and suffering they are causing?”

Nike supports the mass slaughter of wild kangaroos in order to use their skin to make soccer cleats

According to The Center for a Humane Economy, Nike rationalizes the mass slaughter of wild kangaroos by engaging in green washing and humane washing. Nike states, “Suppliers must source animal skins from processors that use sound animal husbandry and humane animal treatment/slaughtering practices whether farmed, domesticated or wild (managed) . . . If wild caught, [kangaroos] must be sourced from actively managed populations with government agency oversight.”

Animal rights activists, including young children and senior citizens, disrupted business in Nike’s flagship store in NYC over the company’s support of the mass slaughter of kangaroos to make soccer cleats

The sale of kangaroo parts is banned in California. The Kangaroo Protection Act, federal legislation introduced in 2021, would ban their sale nationwide. Several retailers, including Nordstrom, Gucci, Prada, and Versace, have stopped selling kangaroo skin products.


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