Join us as we rally for our elephant clients Beulah, Karen, and Minnie’s freedom!
The Commerford Zoo is once again starting its annual exhibition and exploitation of our elephant clients Beulah, Karen, and Minnie. On February 2nd at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA, where it’s expected to snow with below freezing temperatures, the zoo will bring the elephants and other nonhuman animals to serve as human entertainment at one of the many “kids fun fairs” it holds throughout the year. This will be the first time the elephants will be back in Massachusetts since their plight went viral in September after the Commerford Zoo forced them to give rides at the Big E fair.
During the rally, NhRP Executive Director Kevin Schneider and other staff will give updates on our litigation on behalf of Beulah, Karen, and Minnie and other efforts to obtain rights for autonomous nonhuman animals. We will also deliver our petition to the Commerford Zoo, which almost 250,000 people have signed, urging that they retire the elephants to sanctuary.
Following the rally we will hold a candlelight vigil in honor of Beulah, Minnie, and Karen. Artist Colleen Plumb will exhibit her acclaimed Thirty Times a Minute video projection installation, which shows dozens of captive elephants in zoos caught in unending cycles of stereotypic behavior and bearing the weight of an unnatural existence in their small enclosures.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqI9Hz8AA6Y/
We will provide signs for attendees, but please feel free to bring your own. Please wear dark colors and remember that this is a peaceful and respectful demonstration. This is an event where we band together to advocate for the end of Beulah, Karen, and Minnie’s exploitation and their right to be freed from imprisonment.
RSVP here or email me at cfern@nonhumanrights.org. If you’re unable to attend, you can still help by sharing this post or the event page.
WHAT: Rally to Free the Commerford Elephants
WHEN: 1:00 pm – 3:00 p.m., candlelight vigil to follow at 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: DCU Center in Worcester, MA. We will meet on Major Taylor Boulevard in front of the center. Parking is widely available and locations can be found here.
WHY: Join the NhRP in raising awareness about the plight of Beulah, Karen, and Minnie and letting the Commerford Zoo know it’s time for the elephants to be sent to a sanctuary.
Thank you to everyone who has RSVPd so far. I hope to see you there!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsoZDfqAsIV/