News, Santa Monica, Non Profits

PETA Activists To Ruffle Feathers With Giant Plucked 'Goose' Today In Santa Monica

Courtesy Photo

Alicia Silverstone urges everyone to go down-free in a undercover video exposé.

Posted Nov. 14, 2013, 8:18 am

Brenton Garen / Editor-in-Chief

Five pajama-clad activists from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) will accompany a seven-foot-tall, half-plucked goose, that will be "sleeping in" outside the REI outdoor store on Santa Monica Boulevard today at noon.

While sitting up in sleeping bags under a banner that reads, "Don't Cuddle Up to Cruelty—Ditch Down," the five PETA members will protest the cruelty of down production.

Other activists say they will hold signs that read, "Down Hurts."

Activists said the battered bird wants shoppers who would never think of buying fur to know that down sleeping bags, jackets, gloves, pillows, and comforters cause extreme pain for ducks and geese who are often repeatedly plucked alive for their feathers.

"Down is a product of cruelty to birds," said Alicia Silverstone in a PETA video exposé.

The actor offers a behind-the-scenes view of the down industry, showing how millions of geese and ducks are "violently plucked bloody for their feathers" while they're still alive—a traumatic and painful experience.

PETA encourages shoppers to check labels for synthetic down, down alternative, polyester fill, or high-tech fabrics such as PrimaLoft and Thinsulate — soft, washable, down-like fibers. In most cases, these are a superior option for climbers and campers, as down loses much of its insulating properties when it gets wet.

REI is located at 402 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica.