A group of animal rights activists in Switzerland held a demonstration in the city of Zurich in order to bring attention, and put an end to Japan’s whale and dolphin killings. But things took a different turn when the activists, who were organized in part by ProWal, a German dolphin and whale protection organization, went on to completely destroy a Japanese-made car that had been put up for “sacrifice.”
Angie Neuhaus, the owner of the car, an early model Suzuki compact, says she donated the vehicle for the demonstration after learning about the slaughtering of dolphins in Taiji, as well as Japan’s year whale hunts, and no longer wanting to own any Japanese products. The activists, as well as any observers with interest, wrote messages on the car like “Freedom for the Dolphins!” and “Stop the Killing”, along with a number of expletive-filled others. The vehicle was then crushed and flattened at a junk yard.
Andreas Morlok, the CEO of ProWal who says he has observed a number of the dolphin killings in Japan, explained that while some of the sea mammals were caught to be sold to aquariums around the world for very lucrative prices, most were killed for their meat. The demonstrators also condemned the hunting of whales under the guise of scientific research, noting that the information gained by killing the animals has little to no value. The activists say they will contact the Japanese government in an effort to show them what consumer action is capable of. While the Japanese vehicle was still running and in decent condition, Neuhaus says she is much happier driving her new French-made car.
