Media Release

3 February 2003 ‘Bloody’ Protests outside Sports Shops highlight Adidas’s support of Kangaroo Killing Saturday February 8 sees animal rights organisation Viva! stage the 2nd International Day of Action against Adidas. Adidas is the biggest buyer of kangaroo skin in the world, funding an industry that shoots millions of adult kangaroos so their skins can be turned into football boots. Animal activists across the UK, the US, Australia and Europe will encourage retailers not to sell any kangaroo skin products such as Adidas’s Predator football boot, by peacefully demonstrating outside sports shops. 50 events are taking place in the UK alone, with Viva!’s main demo being held outside Lilywhite’s sports shop in central London. To precede the Day of Action, on Wednesday 5 February, Viva! campaigners will protest outside Adidas’s headquarters in Stockport; and at their international headquarters in Portland, USA; Melbourne, Australia, and outside the global HQ in Germany. Each year, hunters are licensed to shoot millions of adult kangaroos for their meat and skins. Baby ‘joeys’ - worthless to the industry - are ripped from their dead mothers’ pouches and bludgeoned, decapitated or simply abandoned to die of starvation and neglect. Australia is currently in the midst of one of the worst droughts on record and bush fires are raging across the country decimating kangaroo numbers, yet the kangaroo industry continues to shoot millions more. The Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia recently confirmed the link between sports shoe manufacturers and the kangaroo massacre by stating: "This [soccer boot] industry is vital to the kangaroo industry. Without it underpinning kangaroo skin prices the entire industry would be at risk”. With 70 per cent of the market for professional football boots, Adidas is the driving force behind the slaughter. Despite the fact that rival sporting goods company Nike produces a 100 per cent synthetic boot worn by Ronaldo, the world’s number one footballer, and a range of boots made from synthetic kangaroo skin worn by other world class players, Adidas insists on using kangaroo skin to make several models of sports shoe. “Kangaroos are under attack from all directions: the drought, the fires and the hunter’s rifle,” says Viva!’s Director, Juliet Gellatley. “Adidas is showing itself to be devoid of compassion and ethics by continuing to use kangaroo skin, and the Predator boot is living up to its name, leaving a trail of blood in the outback. Don’t support the suffering - boycott Adidas until they stop slaughtering wildlife for profit.” Note to editors: Viva! is working with the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia, the Australian Wildlife Protection Council and other wildlife and animal welfare groups to end the commercial kangaroo industry. For further information on this campaign go to www.savethekangaroo.com or call Viva! on 0117 944 1000.