PETA Urges Macy's to Cancel SeaWorld Parade Float
The organization is asking supporters to send a memo to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade organization objecting to the float. It cites the OSHA case following the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau.
A federal appeals court is weighing the validity of OSHA's enforcement case against SeaWorld in connection with the death of killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau on Feb. 24, 2010, at the company's Orlando park. Lawyers for SeaWorld and the U.S. Department of Labor argued their case earlier this month, for and against OSHA's two citations in the case. And now the dispute – and SeaWorld's use of captive orcas – has moved to a larger stage.
PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – has posted a petition on its website that it wants supports to send to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade organization. It asks the organizers of the 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® to cancel SeaWorld's "Sea of Surprises" float from the parade, which begins at 9 a.m. EST in Manhattan with an estimated 3.5 million visitors watching from the sidewalks and more than 50 million others watching it on TV.
The PETA petition mentions the movie "Blackfish," a 2013 documentary critical of SeaWorld's use of killer whales, as well as the OSHA case. "Please tell Macy's that promoting SeaWorld at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade would offend many viewers. Using the link below, take a moment to contact the company's CEO and parade producer and urge them to cancel plans for a SeaWorld float at the parade," it says.
This year's parade will feature 15 character balloons, 30 floats, 11 marching bands, and more than 8,000 participants, according to the parade's website.