Thiruvananthapuram:
Animal rights campaigner People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Monday organised a street show in Thiruvananthapuram to create awareness against using animal skin for making shoes and bags.
Carrying symbolic blood-dripping heads of slaughtered animals and slogan banners, PETA activists held the demonstration at a busy city centre here and explained to customers and shop owners about the cruelty shown towards animals for making leather.
PETA campaigner Dr Deepti Mishra said goods like shoes, bags and belts made from the skin of slaughtered cows and other animals should be spurned.
"Wearing animal skin directly supports cruelty, so we are asking everyone to think before they buy and to leave leather out of their wardrobe. Products made from cotton, jute, satin or synthetics should be promoted," she said.
"We are planning to conduct similar demonstrations in Kochi, Lucknow and Jaipur in May," she told PTI.
In India, the leather industry ignored even the most basic animal protection laws. Runoff from leather tanneries poisoned rivers and streams, harming all life within, the campaigners said.
It caused cancer, respiratory infections and other illness in humans, PETA said.