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In its ongoing effort to cripple the Mayor’s plan to ban horse-drawn carriages from the streets of NYC, the Daily News, one of city’s top three papers, has created increasingly ludicrous news hooks to shift public opinion.

Last week, the Daily News reported that a Franciscan priest not only “delivered a brief equine prayer and splashed a bit of holy water on every horse’s mane” but also “saved enough water to deliver a blessing for the carriages and hay stored in the stables.”

Objective news organization? Most certainly not!

In May, the Daily News used a scare tactic:

The stories have been so ridiculous that some readers think, at first glance, that they’re satire. One reader wrote, “The Daily News has become The Onion.”

The public doesn’t know why the Daily News has compromised its credibility by using its opinion and news pages to advocate for the horse-drawn carriage trade, but some speculate that it’s an underhanded way to discredit the Mayor.

In the weeks leading up to the 2013 election, the Daily News frequently published mean-spirited stories about the progressive Mr. de Blasio in an attempt to derail his candidacy. Now that he’s Mayor, the “news” organization appears to be using his support of a ban on carriages as an ongoing hook to discredit him.

Logo included in each NY Daily News story promoting horse carriage trade

Horse-drawn carriages cannot be operated humanely or safely in NYC for many reasons – from the congested city streets where they work to the lack of a pasture when they can graze, move freely and interact with other horses, as herd animals do. To learn more about the plight of the carriage horses and join the fight, please visit the Coalition to Ban Horse-drawn Carriages and NY-CLASS.

Do horse-drawn carriages belong in Times Square?

One week after NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “There’s tremendous support in the City Council” for banning horse-drawn carriages, a NYC lawmaker who would normally oversee legislation relating to the carriage business held a press conference opposing the Mayor’s plan.

“For over 150 years, the horse carriage industry has grown to employ 300 drivers, blacksmiths and stable workers,”  said Council Member Rafael Espinal. The stables, he says “have been modernized with top of the line equipment to make sure that each horse is healthy and safe.”

Note: Even if the stables were adequate, that wouldn’t change the fact that the horses work in the congested streets of NYC; have no access to a pasture; and are denied the ability to do anything that comes naturally to them.

Ironically, the press conference took place just a couple hours after a carriage driver who had been charged with “torturing and injuring animals” made an appearance in criminal court just a few blocks away.

Thirty activists with NY-CLASS attended the press conference and held signs: “Espinal is on the Wrong Side of History.”

Espinal Supports NYC Carriage Trade Photo: Juliet Papa

The road to banning horse-drawn carriages has been paved with more speed bumps than anticipated, with the Teamsters Union, Working Families Party, New York Daily News, carriage owners and actor Liam Neeson working aggressively to keep horse-drawn carriages in NYC.

The Mayor, who has consistently reaffirmed his support of a ban, faces an uphill battle, and he needs the help of those of us who support his position. Please visit NY-CLASS, which leading the fight at City Hall, to see how you can help.

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.