‘If You ♥ England, Don’t Shop at F&M’, Say PETA Protesters on St George’s Day
Fortnum & Mason’s carefully cultivated image – of a shop steeped in English tradition – took a major knock yesterday, thanks to a wave of PETA supporters who paid the store a surprise St George’s Day visit! Whether handing out fliers or posing almost naked and bodypainted with St George’s flags, activists were determined to remind the company and its customer that the sale of foie gras is positively un-English.
Foie gras is made from the diseased and grossly enlarged livers of force-fed geese. Production of the French foodstuff is so inhumane that it’s illegal in the UK, and a majority of British people want to see an outright ban on selling it. So Fortnum & Mason’s attempt to celebrate Englishness by holding a traditional St George’s Day feast, while still profiting from gross animal abuse, really stuck in our throats!
In addition to the action in London, online hundreds of people got busy tweeting and e-mailing managing director, Ewan Venters, to express their disgust at his blatant disregard for animal welfare.
The message is clear: anyone who loves England had better give Fortnum & Mason a miss. But the movement against foie gras is also global – 16 other countries around the world have banned its production, too. Compassion is a universal value – so wherever you’re from, please help us keep up the pressure and speak out against Fortnum & Mason’s foie gras cruelty today!
