DUFFY CIRCUS RINGMASTER Threatens protestor– Id take bits out of you!

national | animal rights | press release

Monday June 22, 2009 17:36

by Bernie Wright - Alliance for Animal Rights, Aliberation and Circuswatch combined

allianceforanimalrights at gmail dot com

PO Box 4734. Dublin.1

0872651720 /0863248765/0863985761/

Duffys Circus face a week of protests,over confined imprisoned animals

A week of protests organised by Aliberation and supported by AFAR at Duffys Circus in Whitehall has resulted in activists being threatened by aggressive circus owners. One activist was held by the neck and told…..‘IF I GET YOU ALONE DO YOU KNOW WHAT ID DO TO YOU-ID TAKE BITS OUT OF YOU!’

Despite this veiled threat yesterday (Saturday) which resulted in official Gardai statements* todays protestors witnessed more provocations and an attempt by circus staff to instigate a melee and steal flyers which were being distributed outside the circus. A video camera was grabbed by Circus staff but was held on to whilst posters were also grabbed. However, support from passers-by was excellent with some people turning back and not attending the circus at all, passing cars honked support. Duffys have Bengal tigers and a Lion caged at their site in Whitehall.
Duffys continue to exploit big cats despite their caged animals ripping the arms off of a manon their Galway site in the nineties. Ireland has at least 8 attacks on record from animals in the circus, 5 from chained monkeys, one elephant attack (as a circus worker was beating it) and the tiger attack by 3 of Duffys Bengal tigers.
We protest at the use of animals by circuses. Confinement in beast wagons of tigers and lions that are in Circuses result in sad, deranged and psychotic animals.
Because animal acts are neither educational nor uplifting. Instead, they warp our perceptions of animals, desensitize us to the animals' real nature and needs, and in the process, diminish us as human beings.
Because all animals, non-human and human alike, share one basic right: the right to live their lives freely and in harmony with their own nature. Circuses clearly deny animals that right.
The circus demeans animals, robbing them of their natural dignity. We oppose animal violations.

We can just imagine how the unfortunate animals are treated, having seen the aggression displayed towards protesters. Duffys wild animals are kept in Agricultural buildings or barns from November to February every year at their winter quarters in Navan. Training of circus animals is behind closed doors and many expose’s have shown the use of electrodes, whipping implements and beatings from Circus trainers. The most viscious being the cruelty of the renowned Chipperfields Circus which resulted in multiple prosecutions of Mary Chipperfield .
Despite Circus staff aggression and threats , demonstrations to highlight the plight of wild animals by Duffys circus will continue.

*Whitehall Gardai for complaints.

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Comments (11 of 11)

On Now.

by Mark

Mon Jul 20, 2009 13:49

Duffy circus owner ,Damien Duffy, is on the Joe Duffy show RTE1 right now..

Call for Council Ban

by Joseph Mooney

Sat Jul 18, 2009 19:39

Independent Dublin City Councillor Cieran Perry has proposed a motion for inclusion in the next City Development Plan calling for the banning of all Circus's which use animals from using Council property as well as calling on Dublin City Council to use planning enforcement to ban these circus's from any other venue while they use animals.

Arts Council

by Eve

Thu Jul 16, 2009 20:03

Fred - you're totally correct re the Arts Council circus funding. For 2008 alone, Duffy's was granted 75,000euro by the Council and roughly the same amount has been allocated for 2009. It's a travesty that circuses using animals are allowed continue in this day and age. I can't understand why anyone would want to watch animals being demeaned and have their spirits broken. Not to mention the vile living conditions, constant travelling, and brutal "training" methods. There are many fantastic human-only alternatives out there so there is no excuse for patronising these disgusting events.

A Passing Comment

by Mr Man

Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:36

Catlady;

"you prefer to watch animals suffer?"
Where did you read that in what I said? Was there something unclear about "I don't like animal circuses and support banning them"?

"This is not am intellectual exercise for me or my 11 rescues"

Quite obviously. So sorry if I want to attempt informed debate rather than just shouting semantics. My two rescues can do it.

so mr man...?

by catlady

Tue Jul 07, 2009 03:25

you prefer to watch animals suffer? please explain. This is not am intellectual excercise for me or my 11 rescues
happy to recieve explanation

Banned on the Run

by RogerYates

Mon Jul 06, 2009 13:12

In a sense, it is a shame that anyone needs to talk of banning animal circuses. It would be nice to think we could engender social values in which no-one would want to go see nonhuman animal 'performers' in the circus.

However, it would also be nice to live in a society in which the rich do not enrich themselves on the back of others and one in which no-one would dream of trafficking human beings into slavery - or being a 'client' of a trafficked sex worker, for example.

But I suppose, those thoughts are for a later, less violent time, when we do not commodify weaker others.

Perhaps those who attend the animal circus do not really understand what they are financially supporting. For example, I wonder whether people appreciate that nonhuman 'performers' often undergo a 4-stage process involving taming, training, rehearsal and performance. The first two of these tend to occur well beyong the public gaze - rehearsals are often presented as 'training' but that is likely to be untrue - and the performance is when people are seeing the fully 'broken' and subdued animal: even the 'wild fierceness' of, say, lions, is false at this stage.

Who would want to watch the end of an animal, we certainly tend to avoid slaughterhouses.

Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:24

"the statement referred to a moral right, rather than a legal one. Legally I can own a tiger. Morally I cannot, or perhaps you think I can???"

99% agree, It does refer to a moral right, rather than a legal one and I do think it is immoral to own a tiger. However, morals are relativistic, ie not universal so claiming as the author does that it is a 'basic' right is untrue as this alludes to legality and moral absolutism ie believing that one own morals are the 'right' morals. Reflected in the statement "Because animal acts are neither educational nor uplifting." as clearly some people DO find animal acts uplifting (maybe not educational, but who knows) by the mere fact that alot of people go.

Don't get me wrong, I don't like animal circuses and support banning them, I just don't like people claiming moral superiority as that leads down a bigoted path.

Arts Council take note?

by Fred Johnston

Sat Jul 04, 2009 18:27

If this story is true and such a threatening statement was made, we should remember that circuses these days are, eh, arts' events and are funded by The Arts Council. If Duffy's is so funded, then tut-tut, doesn't it all reflect rather badly on the mandarins who run the Council?

I believe...

by Catlady

Thu Jul 02, 2009 23:20

the statement referred to a moral right, rather than a legal one. Legally I can own a tiger. Morally I cannot, or perhaps you think I can???

Wed Jun 24, 2009 13:33

"Because all animals, non-human and human alike, share one basic right: the right to live their lives freely and in harmony with their own nature."

Patently untrue

sweet

Tue Jun 23, 2009 00:42

jesus................
i need a licence for my small dog right? (Jack russell cross) fuck that i'll just buy a crocodile!

Cat

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DUFFY CIRCUS RINGMASTER Threatens protestor– Id take bits out of you!

Comments (11 of 11)