On the 5th of July, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) organized a demo called the 'Running of the Nudes' against the so-called 'Running of the bulls' this is the San Fermine's festivity in Pamplona (Spain). It's the sixth time this PETA organized demonstration takes place, and year after year this protest tries to congregate as many nude runners as possible, runners whom with the supposed intention of protesting against the use of bulls in Pamplona, end up showing their genitals in the media in some kind of carnival where the focus on bullfighting is completely lost.

PETA's history constantly shows their interest in making use of classic marketing techniques usually employed by companies to sell their products (obtaining these marketing techniques however, more and more rejectionf from the general public and several groups). The sexism found in PETA's campaigns should make anyone conscious of the dramatic consequences of this prejudice (discrimination, eating-habit disorders, psychological problems, violence against women, etc.) turn their back on this organization. Women are converted by them in consumption objects and their bodies become advertising claims to convince the viewer, wether it's part of an add or behind a banner.

In the website 'RunningOfTheNudes.com' PETA claims that the main reason why people should take part in their demonstration is because 'It’s about babes – not bulls. Hardly-dressed hotties and nearly-nude dudes – need we say more?' [1] while the suffering and death of the bulls who are murdered these days in Pamplona remains pactically unmentioned. This event is even promoted by the city-hall of Pamplona (organizers of the 'Running of the bulls') as part of the atractions the city offers this week. This must be the only protest in the world against an injustice that becomes another tourist attraction for the injustice itself.

If there was any doubt about the kind of reaction this event provokes in the people of Pamplona and the Spanish public in general, a quick look at some of the reactions in the media will give light to this issue. The size of the breasts of the activists is of more interest than the sad reality the bulls will endure just a few hours after PETA's carnival. From our point of view, it's an embarrasing event that harms non-human animals to a great extent and that also harms the image of the animal rights cause PETA is associated with. It's difficult enough in this historic momment to get society to take our claims seriously as to continue on this pathway of trivializing their exploitation and suffering.

As an organization dedicated to the promotion of respect towards non-human animals and centered in ending their exploitation, Igualdad Animal is opposed to the running of the bulls and the bullfights in Pamplona or wherever these terrible events take place. We also consider creativity to be a very important part of activism in defense of animals, but we must try to represent non-human animals as they would like being represented, that is with respect. We fight against a terrible reality that mustn't be hidden and must be treated serioulsly: mothers separated from their babies, mutiliations, uncountable hours of suffering, millions of murdered daily at slaughterhouses, bulllrings, laboratories... all this suffering happens with the complicity of a society inmerse in consumerism and trivialities.

From Igualdad Animal / Animal Equality we would like to expose besides the triviliazation of the animal suffering that has taken place with the running of the nudes, the kind of organization PETA is, being the later the reason that brings us to reject not only the organization itself but also the protests and demos it organizes. Sadly, much of the media present PETA as a group of animal defenders or animal rights people and part of the so-called animal movement maintains and promotes this image of PETA. But the truth is that besides the media and the confusion, many organizations and individuals dedicated to defending non-human animals in different countries across the world are totally opposed to PETA, being Igualdad Animal / Animal Equality one of them.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals supports animal exploitation and comes to agreements with the animal exploitation industry so both of them, PETA and the industry, can announce their achievements as 'victories' with the subsequent benefit for both of them. Animal rights organizations (not animal welfare ones) maintain that it's not acceptable to use animals and therefore reject any legal reformation of their exploitation. Such reformist measures do nothing but legitimate the exploiattion of sentient beings, benefiting the actual industry as we have denounced from Igualdad Animal / Animal Equality repeatedly. This has therefore happened when PETA supported Burguer King [2], praised McDonalds for their 'animal welfare standarts' [3], or has awarded a flesh selling company like Whole Foods [4] or to the slaughterhouse designer Temple Grandin [5]. Anyone can understand that if the industry that breeds and kills animals claims victory, we can hardly conclude that the animals will benefit from our activism.

If those who supposedly defend non-human animals give practical courses to slaughterhouse workers about how to do their job 'properly' [6], promote the systematic killing of feral cats [7] and pitbull dogs [8], claim that seals hunted in Canada should receive rifle shots instead of being brutally hit [9], or that birds should be murdered in gas chambers [10] -all this being part of the extense repertory of grotesque decisions taken by PETA- we can only conclude that anyone who takes injustice against non-human animals seriously should show an inequivocal rejection towards this group and not collaborate with them.

We specially regret that organizations who supposedly want to defend non-human animals support and promote PETA. Supporting their demonstrations also implies supporting and promoting their ideology. Their position is fundamentally opposed to respect for non-human animals and the abolition of their exploitation as they have proved. Opposing animal slavery implies not only not taking part in it, but also clearly expressing our rejection to anyone who legitimizes it and reforms it. It's our duty to show our rejection towards apparently more acceptable ways of enslaving our equals. Non-human animals deserve better.

Finally, we encourage the people from Pamplona and Navarra to openly oppose the running of the bulls and other ways of exploiting animals. Those of us who reject animal exploitation and PETA are with you.

References:
[1] Top 10 Reasons to Join the ‘Running of the Nudes’: http://www.runningofthenudes.com/top_ten_reasons.asp
[2] http://www.goveg.com/corp_murderk.asp
[3] http://www.peta.org/Living/AT-Fall2005/nokill.asp
[4] http://www.peta.org/feat/proggy/2004/winners.html#retailer
[5] http://www.peta.org/feat/proggy/2004/winners.html#visionary
[6] http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=116226
[7] http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=141
[8] http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/08/EDGDLD4G1S1.D...
[9] http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A25651-2004Apr19?language=print...
[10] http://www.peta.org/cak
[10] http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/onset?id=64182&template=article.htmls