One ad shows a photograph of a coyote with a caption reading: I’m a living being, not a piece of fur trim'. Another featured a photo of a goose with the caption: I’m a living being, not jacket filling'.
LIAM CASEY: ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has taken the city to court over the removal of ads calling for a boycott of the Toronto-based clothing company over its use of animal products. The advertisements were up for just one day last year before they were pulled down by Astral Media, court heard. PETA said in December 2018 that the ads were meant to run for four weeks.
Astral Media has a contract with the city to build and maintain street furniture such as bus shelters, and the company can sell ads on that furniture and share revenues with the city… One ad shows a photograph of a coyote with a caption reading: “I’m a living being, not a piece of fur trim.” Another featured a photo of a goose with the caption: “I’m a living being, not jacket filling.”
PETA claimed it was not violating the standards… a lawyer for the group said “freedom of speech is the central issue” in the case… PETA alleges Astral took the ads down after a single complaint that came from an advertiser for Canada Goose… PETA and intervener Animal Justice are trying to convince an Ontario Divisional Court to undertake a judicial review of the matter…
PETA argues Astral is working on behalf of the city, and therefore must act like a public body, which means its decision to remove ads violated PETA’s free-speech rights… Canada Goose has long been in PETA’s crosshairs. Members of the group, sometimes dressed as coyotes, have protested in front of the apparel company’s stores and repeatedly billed it as a perpetrator of “shameless cruelty”.’ SOURCE…
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