Anti-fur March: Activists Demand a Ban on the Fur Industry
Photos: Helle Vendelbo
Breaking free from a horrific industry
Every year, around 100 million animals are killed in the fur industry. That's about 200 animals every single minute. That's why hundreds of animal rights activists gathered in Copenhagen on Saturday, February 25, to protest this horrific industry.
The demonstration began at City Hall Square, where the band Frø took the stage and fired up the activists. Their powerful rally music energized the crowd to shout chants like “fur industry is animal cruelty!” and “animal fur is not fashion, where the hell is your compassion?!"
After the music and warm-up chants, we marched through Copenhagen’s streets, shouting our calls with all our might. We stopped outside every fur shop along the way to remind them what a horrific industry they profit from. Along the march, we met many approving nods and thumbs up. There’s no doubt Copenhageners are ready for a fur-free future; it’s the politicians who are lagging behind. politikerne der halter bagud.
At the start of this year, our government decided to reinstate extreme animal abuse by reopening the mink industry. Meanwhile, rabbits and chinchillas have never had a break from tiny wire cages and their unjust fates. Just a few days ago, on March 16, another parliamentary proposal to ban mink farming in Denmark was presented—and once again it did not pass. This stands in stark contrast to other European countries, where 17 out of 27 have already banned fur production, and 7 others are in the process of banning it. Additionally, the EU citizen initiative Fur Free Europe collected over 1.5 million signatures for a fur-free Europe. The fact that this industry still exists in Denmark makes no sense.
"I will never, ever understand how a life in a cage can be all an animal knows. "
At the February 25 demonstration, it was clear many activists were deeply affected by the horrors of the fur industry. After the march, we gathered at the square for speeches and music. “I will never, ever understand how a life in a cage can be all an animal knows. Neither can I imagine a mink, a fox, a chinchilla, or a rabbit ever considering that all they must endure—the suffering—is so their skin can become a decoration on humans,” activist Ellen said. Her speech moved many attendees to tears.
And so the demonstration continued. Moving speeches from fellow activists, including Dyrenes Ambassador campaign leader Maya and her 12-year-old sweet son David, longtime animal advocate Mathias from Anima, and the tireless activist Kikki from CAFT Denmark. After these powerful speeches, we closed the event with music—a beautiful acoustic performance of the song Liberation by artist Rod, followed by catchy tunes from the band Soy Boys, who fittingly ended the day with the song No to Fur.
More activism after the march
After the demonstration officially ended, activists from CAFT kept the energy alive by staging a protest outside Max Mara for selling fur, as part of CAFT's global pressure campaign targeting the brand. We then gathered at Folkets Hus for a wonderful vegan communal meal.
Many wise words were shared that day about the importance of our fight, the need for self-care in activism, and the crucial reminder to never forget who we fight for. We could fill pages with quotes and descriptions of the day, but the activists who came all the way from Sweden to join our demonstration summed it up best:
"We will not stop fighting when every cage is comfortable, we will stop when every cage is empty"
Want to learn more? Also read the post “Completely unacceptable, horrible, and backwards: The government wants to continue mink farming” and “Dear Christiansborg: Ban mink farming permanently!”
