IDA Defends Lawful Protected Speech at Injunction Hearing Where Furrier Seeks to Restrict Demonstrations

Portland, Ore.—Attorneys for In Defense of Animals (IDA) will make arguments in federal civil court today to oppose Schumacher Furs’ attempt to convince the court to impose an injunction that would restrict the time, manner, and location of the weekly outreach. IDA's attorneys, Greg Kafoury and Mark McDougal, will be defending IDA and have also filed an anti-SLAPP motion to strike Schumacher's entire complaint on the grounds that their clients are well within the bounds of protected speech, and that Schumacher's allegations lack merit.

Where: Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, 1000 SW 3rd Ave.
When: Thursday, May 17, 10:00 a.m.

After monitoring anti-fur demonstrations week after week, city leaders and Portland Police disagree with store owners Gregg and Linda Schumacher’s claim that the demonstrations were unlawful. The demonstrations have been ongoing every Saturday for 18 months at 811 SW Morrison and there are only two more Saturdays before the store is scheduled to close permanently on May 31st.

“The peaceful demonstrations have been carefully monitored by the city and activists are simply exercising protected free speech. The Schumachers are not the victims here,” according to Matt Rossell, IDA’s NW Outreach coordinator, “and compassionate people reject fur once they know the truth—that wild animals used for fur live in miserable conditions on fur farms and have their lives ended by being beaten, anally electrocuted, or even skinned alive.”

This injunction hearing is part of a larger complaint—a civil SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation)—which is a tactic of corporations and animal abusive industries to try to silence or limit free speech of activists who seek to expose their unethical practices. IDA is among a long list of defendants beginning with the city of Portland and including other animal groups and individuals, and 20 Jane/John Does.

The lawsuit came as no surprise to activists who were used to dealing with the Schumachers' bizarre actions. The furriers and their employees have spit at, cursed, threatened, and harassed activists: in at least one case, they even followed an activist all the way home. Kafoury and McDougal have successfully sued a senior member of the fourth generation fur store, William Schumacher, who was forced to pay $600,000 to their client, a Greenpeace activist, when a political disagreement escalated into Schumacher threatening him with a loaded gun while he was legally canvassing in their neighborhood.

Visit www.furkills.org for more information on IDA’s anti-fur campaign.