San Diego Airport Changes Rules to Ban PETA’s Anti-SeaWorld Ad

Airport Rejects Ads, Despite Alterations for Compliance

For Immediate Release:
June 8, 2017

Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382

San Diego International Airport has blocked three versions of PETA’s anti-SeaWorld ad featuring an orca in a jar alongside the words “Run Screaming From SeaWorld. He Would if Only He Could,” despite PETA’s efforts to revise the ad to meet the airport’s advertising guidelines.

PETA submitted three versions of the ad—including one advertising T-shirts for sale on PETA’s website after the airport claimed that ads must propose a commercial transaction—but then the airport announced that it prohibits “advocacy” advertisements, a restriction that had not previously been raised and was apparently added after PETA successfully sued the airport for attempting to block a previous anti-SeaWorld ad featuring Kathy Najimy in 2014.

“It’s no secret that San Diego International Airport runs SeaWorld ads, despite the controversy over its treatment of captive orcas and other animals,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Yet the airport repeatedly refuses to run PETA’s ad—citing increasingly flimsy and discriminatory reasons—even though we have bent over backwards to comply with its advertising guidelines.”

PETA is campaigning aggressively against SeaWorld, and the abusement park has been in free fall ever since its cruel treatment of animals was exposed to millions in the critically acclaimed CNN documentary Blackfish. While orcas in the wild travel up to 100 miles per day, SeaWorld keeps them in tiny concrete tanks of chemically treated water. The orcas at SeaWorld—suffering from stress and frustration—break their teeth and endure chronic pain from gnawing on the pool gates.

For more information, please visit SeaWorldOfHurt.com.