Shriners grumpy after circus demonstration
April 17th, 2008 by admin
Last weekend, an amazing group of ARFF volunteers and University of Central Florida student activists spoke out against animal abuse at the Shrine Circus in Orlando. Before and after each show, we met circusgoers at the entrance to UCF Arena. We distributed over 5000 pieces of literature about the circus and enjoyed many positive conversations with families.
One young woman who received a circus dvd from us after attending the circus on Saturday night brought the dvd home and watched it with her mom. They were so disgusted that they went to Wal-Mart and bought poster board, made signs, and came to help us on Sunday!
Needless to say, the Shriners weren’t happy. They didn’t like our chants (”Animal cruelty isn’t right, how do Shriners sleep at night?!”) and they didn’t like it when we pointed out that their own disclaimer in the circus program states that proceeds from the circus do not benefit Shriners Hospitals. And they must have really been unhappy when the UCF campus newspaper, Central Florida Future, published an editorial urging the university to cut its ties with the circus. The editorial concluded, “The time has come to end the circus at UCF. It is no longer fun and games at the circus, and the people are aware of it. The contract must not be renewed.”
During our protests, we heard reports that an elephant giving rides was limping and holding up her leg, and we witnessed rough treatment of “Gus,” the Bahia Shriners’ camel. ARFF volunteers ran into a circus employee after the demonstration at a pizza restaurant. The employee shared his opinion on the cruel training of circus animals, “I hit my kids, you have to hit the animals the same when they act up. It’s all about respect, you’re in charge.”
You Can Help
There are six Shrine temples in Florida that sponsor animal circuses. Without the support of the Shriners, it is likely that several circuses would go out of business. Please join us on May 1 at the Florida Shrine Association 2008 Convention in Orlando and help us convince Florida’s Shriners to replace circuses with non-animal fundraisers. Visit our website calendar for details.