Angry San Diegans to Rally Over Shameful SeaWorld PR Proclamation

Will Picket, Provide Testimony at Council Meeting as Mayor Pushes Recognition of Cruel Orca Prison

For Immediate Release:
March 17, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

In response to San Diego Mayor—and former SeaWorld PR rep—Kevin Faulconer’s plan to proclaim March 2014 “SeaWorld San Diego 50th Anniversary Month,” picketers will rally outside Tuesday’s City Council meeting to oppose government officials’ involvement in the piece of propaganda while others present testimony inside the meeting about why SeaWorld deserves to be drummed out of the city. SeaWorld’s cruel capture and confinement of orcas to tiny tanks was the subject of the acclaimed 2013 documentary Blackfish, which focuses on an orca at SeaWorld named Tilikum, who has reacted to his cruel treatment by doing something that no wild orca has ever done: killing three people, including a SeaWorld trainer.

When:   Tuesday, March 18, 9 a.m.  

Where:  City Administration Building, 202 C St. (near the intersection with First Avenue), San Diego

“Mayor Faulconer should be condemning SeaWorld for its cruel treatment of orcas and other animals, not celebrating its greed,” says PETA spokesperson Katie Arth, a San Diego native. “SeaWorld should use its resources to create a humane, animal-free theme park and retire the suffering orcas to large seaside pens.”

At least 37 orcas and dozens of dolphins have died at SeaWorld parks and affiliated facilities from causes ranging from severe trauma to intestinal gangrene to chronic cardiovascular failure, and the federal government has cited SeaWorld facilities for violating the Animal Welfare Act.

For more information, please visit SeaWorldOfHurt.com.