Animal Rights Advocates Attack Glendale's Circus Elephant-Themed Float

Photo by Tony Medina via the LAist Featured Photos pool

Entertainment elephants are a hot topic this summer, drawing droves of animal rights advocates, notably PETA, to protest Fully Charged - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's new show - and prompting the band Styx to protest elephant rides at the L.A. County Fair. Now Glendale City Council members are rethinking the circus elephant-centric float for Glendale's entry in 2012's Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.

Construction on the project has already begun, but council members have received complaints via email from across the country expressing strong disapproval of the elephant float design.

This is the third time Glendale has had an elephant as part of its float, said Councilman Dave Weaver, a longtime float construction volunteer, reports Glendale News-Press.

Garry Ackerman, President of the Glendale Rose Float Association, defended the project on Tuesday.

“It’s not a real elephant,” said Ackerman. “People worried about animal rights should know that.”

The association, which has organized Glendale's float design and construction for years, is enduring much scrutiny for its failure to raise sufficient construction funding and inability to select winning float designs. City Council "expressed frustration" with the elephant design chosen for 2012's "Just Imagine" theme.

City officials reportedly suggested the council replace the group with another nonprofit organization.

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By Lauren Lloyd in News on August 25, 2011 11:20 AM

Comments [rss]

David Khanaferov

This is so f***ing ridiculous I can't believe that it's real. Next the city of Glendale will change their design to a new theme surrounding cats and PETA and idiots alike will protest saying some other bs reason. Then they change the design to cars and all the Al Gore b****s will cry oh no green house effect, then they change it to a rainbow and all the gay people will yell Glendale is a homophobic city then the city changes the design to a F-22 (America's finest creation according to many) and people will cry Glendale hates peace.

This is the problem in this country these people who are complaining about everything and anything because they have no lives because they hate their lives and they are fat because all they eat is hamburgers and diet coke (you know cause they are on a diet). These are the real terrorists the real extremists and they are the ones posing the highest danger to this country.

Let this country be free of your ridiculous hold let it flourish and be the way it used to be when it lead the world and everyone envied us. Stop terrorizing artists and scientists with dumb statements like creating a sculpture of an elephant out of flowers will cause elephants to be abused.

pcuvie

Garry Ackerman, President of the Glendale Rose Float Association, defended the circus elephant-centric float by stating, “It’s not a real elephant. People worried about animal rights should know that.” What Mr. Ackerman fails to understand is, although the float is not a real elephant, it is promoting the use, and, thus, the abuse of elephants in circuses. The City of Glendale should seriously re-think whether they want to promote the use and abuse of elephants in circuses and change their float design if they decide they don't.

David Khanaferov

You've got to be joking!!! So what's next, I can't draw a picture of an elephant? Are you serious ????????? Because of people like you this country is in ruins because you find ridiculous and straight preposterous reasons such as " although the float is not a real elephant, it is promoting the use, and, thus, the abuse of elephants in circuses" to limit the creativity or art! Pcuvie, with utmost confidence and seriousness I pronounce you ... an IDIOT!