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Boycott China, urges Sir Paul
By Matt Born, Daily Mail Last updated at 00:00am on 28.11.05
Boycott: Sir Paul McCartney
Sir Paul McCartney has vowed never to perform in China after seeing secret footage of cats and dogs being slaughtered for their fur.
He urged his fans not to buy Chinese goods and to boycott the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Describing China's treatment of animals as 'uncivilised', he compared it to the treatment of black people in apartheid South Africa.
His criticism came after the former Beatle was shown film of animals being killed in a fur market in the city of Guangzhou, southern China.
But it drew an angry response from the Chinese Embassy in London. A spokesman cast doubt on whether the footage - which is due to be broadcast tonight in a special report on BBC1's Six O'Clock News - was genuine.
'Sir Paul should be calling for a boycott of the fashion industry using fur in the European and American markets,' he added.
In the film, shot by the pressure group People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals, dogs and cats are shown being thrown from a bus on to a concrete pavement.
The animals, many with their bones broken from the fall, howl with pain as they are picked up with long metal tongs and thrown over a 7ft high fence to be killed. Some appear to be still alive when skinned.
Sir Paul, a vegetarian and vocal animal rights campaigner, said: 'This is barbaric. It's like something out of the Dark Ages.
'I wouldn't even dream of going over there to play, in the same way I wouldn't go to a country that supported apartheid. This is just disgusting. It's against every rule of humanity.'
As the world's biggest fur producer, China is estimated to kill more than two million cats and dogs for their skins every year.
Sir Paul's boycott will be a major blow to the Chinese authorities, who are highly sensitive to how the country is portrayed abroad as it prepares to host the Olympics.
'People think because China is going to host the Olympics then they must be coming into the modern world, but then you see this sort of stuff,' the 63-year-old singer said.
'If they want to consider themselves a civilised nation, they're' going to have to stop this.'
His wife, Heather Mills McCartney, urged consumers to boycott Chinese goods in protest, saying: 'If we can hit them in their pockets, maybe they'll do something to stop this.'
Reader views (4)
Thank you Sir Paul, PETA and SAP for exposing the horror these animals are suffering and standing up for them. I want every one to know I wrote e-mails to Walmart and Kmart. Walmart has a cooperate office in China. I think they need to know what kind of Government their buying products from. A lot of these items are illegal in the US. I have personally seen chew toys for dogs and stuffed animals that looked and felt like some kind of animal, I just didn't know. Well know we all do, we should make sure that any of these products sold where it's illegal will be punishable. As far as the barbaric savagery of these poor animals, there are some prisons in the US where the prisoners take care of animals, from birds to rats and ground hogs and other small fury things. They treat their pets pretty good. I would like to lock these fur traders up with some of them.
- Ellen A. Cantrell, Canskill NY/USA
Boycott China and bring down its abusive economic power it is making millions from animal misery.
My view is What Olympics? as far as I am concerned they do not exist any longer, even more so when they are being held in an animal death camp.
- Jason Rowe, Frome, Somerset
China should be made to stop the cruelty to all animals!
- Deborah Anne Cooper, Spennymoor, UK
Now is the time to increase exposure to China's horrific treatment of animals and inspire a change in their laws. Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals." This is an atrocity. Millions of domestic dogs and cats, not to mention rabbits, foxes, coyotes, mink, raccoons and other animals are suffering unconscionable treatment and agonizing death in China. Dogs and cats for example, are being crushed into barbed wire cages for transport to slaughter–forced to lay on each other for days with no food or water. Most compassionate people would stop buying fur or wearing it if they realized the undeniable cruelty associated with the fur products on the market world wide; the abolishment of animal cruelty should be a mainstream focus with regard to the association between crimes against animals and crimes against people & the abolishment of animal cruelty should be one of the driving forces against terrorism around the world. As stated by the NDAA, “Animal cruelty can be linked to the vast majority of serial killers, many habitual violent offenders, and most children and teens who kill.” In order to make a change we have to be strong and stand together. This means facing the truth, no matter how heartbreaking it may be. Turning your head is equal to indifference and will not bring about change. Boycott China. Together we can make a difference.
- Katia Louise, Los Angeles, CA USA
