Archives

In one of the most combative protests in years, animal rights activists clashed with carriage drivers, union heads, police officers and fashion models during Victor de Souza’s horse-drawn carriage runway show in midtown Manhattan. Chanting “Victor de Souza, animal abuser,” dozens of activists jogged alongside the carriages as they transported models in an alternative runway show.

By displaying his models on moving carriages, De Souza capitalized on the current media interest in the issue. Just one day earlier, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio made headlines when he reiterated his commitment to ending horse-drawn carriage rides in Manhattan: “There’s tremendous support in the City Council for making this change. And we’re going to move forward.”

The seven carriages carrying the models attempted – but failed – to evade the activists who protested until the moment the “show” was over.

Photo: Metro New York

Mr. de Souza either received the media attention that he wanted, or the protesters ruined the show for him and his models. Either way, this fashion designer’s unglamorous exploitation of animals will be well documented, placing him on wrong side of history.

In response to a Boston Globe story which stated that a carriage operator buried her horse before state authorities could investigate the cause of death, TheirTurn subscriber Mickey Kramer submitted a letter to the editor. Coincidentally, The Globle published Mr. Kramers’s letter about this beast of burden on Labor Day: “Considering Freddie supposedly got a clean bill of health three weeks earlier, it seems disingenuous, if not suspicious, of owner Sally Sutherland to bury the horse she claims to love before finding out a cause of death. What, if anything, is there to hide?”

Freddy spent almost 30 years working to make money for his owners before dying on the street. They worked him until the very end, depriving him of a humane retirement on a tranquil pasture where he could enjoy his final years. Some “traditions” should not be preserved, and urban carriage rides, which are inhumane, unsafe and anachronistic, are one of them. Learn more about the plight of the carriage horses and what you can do to help.

Eighty animal rights activists descended upon NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s mansion for a protest, but the media homed in on one: 92-year old Natasha Brenner. The Coalition to Ban Horse-drawn Carriages organized the protest to pressure the Mayor into fulfilling his campaign promise to end horse-drawn carriage rides in midtown Manhattan. Ms. Brenner, who has participated in hundreds of animal rights protests over the years and has been an articulate and staunch advocate for the horses, told reporters that “nothing would keep her away” and that she won’t back down until horses are “no longer pulling carriages in the streets of New York City.”

Natasha Brenner speak to the press (photo: Donny Moss)

NYC’s animals are lucky to have Natasha Brenner as an advocate, and NYC’s activists are lucky to have her as a role model.

Victor de Souza, a celebrity fashion designer who has created dresses for Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Rihanna, is using horse-drawn carriages in the busy streets of Midtown Manhattan for his September 3rd runway show. The Argentinian designer says the horses perfectly represent the “romantic” vision of his collection. Activists who have been fighting to end NYC’s inhumane, unsafe and archaic horse-drawn carriages will crash this last ditch promotion of the industry. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has promised to take the carriages off the streets by the end of the year.

Photo: Joe Corrigan/Getty Images

If NYC’s horse-drawn carriage trade wasn’t the subject of a highly publicized war between the industry and those who want to ban it, would Mr. de Souza have chosen to use carriages in his fashion show? Probably not. De Souza knows this stunt will get press coverage because of the controversy (it already has), and he knows he will get even more press coverage because of the planned protests. Is all PR good PR?  Maybe – unless a horse spooks on the “runway,” and a fashion model flies head first onto the pavement. Perhaps de Souza will cancel the show if he feels he has already received enough free publicity. Please sign PETA’s petition and, if you live in the NYC area, join the protest. Finally, please watch the award-winning documentary film BLINDERS if have any questions about why horse-drawn carriages must be banned from NYC.

In a letter to NYC Council Members, the Working Families Party (WPF) has taken sides in the heated battle between opponents and supporters of NYC’s infamous horse-drawn carriage trade: “We stand in solidarity with horse carriage workers who play a pivotal role in generating millions of dollars in revenue as one of the top three tourist attractions in the city.”  NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio continues to support a ban on horse-drawn carriages for humane and safety reasons, but he has not yet taken any steps to do so since taking office in January.

First of all, horse-drawn carriages are not “one of the top three tourist attractions” in the city. Not even close. Is the Working Families Party familiar with Broadway, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, the Statue of Liberty, the Highline, the Empire State Building and the 911 Memorial — all of which attract far more tourists than the rickety horse-drawn carriages on 59th St? That is the first of many inaccuracies about the horse-drawn carriage trade in their uninformed letter to the City Council. The WFP members who are advocating to keep horse-drawn carriages in NYC, which doesn’t even have a pasture, will one day come to the realization that they are on the wrong side of history. In the meantime, someone should inform them that horses are not inanimate objects, as suggested in their letter: it is “horses WHO are an important part…” not horses THAT are an important part…” If you or anyone else still questions the rationale for banning horse-drawn carriages from Manhattan, please see the award-winning documentary film BLINDERS.