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             PROTEST HELD ON BEHALF OF JERRY VLASAK, MD OUTSIDE THE PEI JAIL

For Immediate Release

Saturday, April 8, 2006

21044 Sherman Way #211  

Canoga Park    CA  91302
phone: 818.932-9997       fax: 818.932-9998 

press@animalliberationpressoffice.org
www.animalliberationpressoffice.org

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Eastern Canada -Dr. Jerry Vlasak, one of three press officers with the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, (NAALPO),  is the first of the anti-sealing protesters to turn himself in; he currently  sits in jail on his 13th day of a hunger strike. John Mitchell, legal counsel for the eleven activists, said he is aware of plans by several of those arrested with Vlasak to turn themselves in and serve their respective sentences. But none of those individuals have contacted or advised Mitchell with respect to when they intend to return to Charlottetown.

Lisa Shalom, a fellow activist and one of three females arrested on the ice floes last march along with the eight other anti-sealing protesters, decided to hold a demonstration. She had elected to pay the fine of 1000C to the court in lieu of jail time but wanted to make sure that Vlasak had support in Charlottetown from the outside. Charlottetown, PEI is not London; New York or even an Austin, Texas- so it was a challenge for Shalom to get people out on behalf of Vlasak in a city that has close ties to the seal kill. In fact, one of the jailers told Vlasak that his father is a "sealer."  http://theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=2193&sc=2

(NAALPO NOTE: One paragraph in the article is completely incorrect. Dr. Vlasak is not spending time in jail to raise money for any conservation group. Dr. Vlasak is NOT in jail to raise money, but to fulfill his sentence, protest the seal kill and protest the  unjust conviction of himself and the ten other anti-sealing activists.)

Dr. Vlasak, formerly of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was questioned by a reporter last year and stated that in his personal opinion violence in defense of innocent seals being clubbed to death is morally justifiable if the seal killers would not stop any other way. Vlasak states, “Those very words got me ousted as a board member of SSCS - but I stand by them without regret. If it were your child or companion being clubbed to death, would violence in self-defense not be morally justified in order to stop it? I was simply giving my own personal opinion, as I have a right to do under the U.S. Constitution."

SSCS has refused to pay for Vlasak’s appeal, but Mitchell plans to include Vlasak pro bono in the appeal along with the ten other activists. Dr. Vlasak also had to pay his own way to turn himself in, but he said such was the least he could do for the seals - since he has been banned from the ice floes for three years.  

On Sunday, March 26th, HSUS took Zodiacs out to the ice floes - but one of them was rammed by a fishing boat with the film of the seal kill confiscated. These HSUS activists have now been banned from the ice floes. Vlasak states, “I have always believed that there has got to be a year-round campaign against this seal slaughter - not just once a year during the actual kill, with the million-dollar multi-nationals suddenly moving on to other campaigns."  Finally, HSUS has come up with the idea of a worldwide boycott of Canadian seafood. This is a great start, but ALL Canadian products - and tourism - should be boycotted! HSUS has also brought major attention to this kill by enlisting Lady Heather and Sir Paul Mcartney. HSUS is focused on bringing major attention to this hunt, and its own Rebecca Aldworth - who lives in Canada - is spearheading that effort.  

The "second phase" of the massacre of baby seals in the Labrador Front, Newfoundland started last Tuesday and is going to kill 234,000 infants for their fur and penises - sold to make European coats and Asian aphrodisiacs.
 
For more information - and footage - on the seal kill, please e-mail or call the North American Animal Liberation Press Office at press@animalliberationpressoffice.org or (818) 932-9997, respectively.
                                                                            

National Press Officers:

Lindy Greene-Southwest                                                                                             

Camille Hankins-New York

Jerry Vlasak MD-Los Angeles  

                                                 
                                                                                      -30-