Protestor Rushes the Stage at Pharrell’s ‘Piece by Piece’ TIFF Premiere

As a long-time advocate for animal rights, I must express my admiration for the tenacity and dedication shown by PETA during their recent protest at Pharrell’s film premiere. It takes courage to speak out against injustice, especially when it is deeply ingrained in an industry as influential as fashion.


At the Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday, animal rights advocacy group PETA disrupted the premiere of Pharrell’s Lego biopic “Piece by Piece”, expressing their opposition to Pharrell’s role as Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director.

During the preparations for a Q&A session following a screening, an activist from PETA unexpectedly stormed the stage, brandishing a banner with the message, “Pharrell, End Your Backing of Animal Slaughter in Fashion.

People were yelling about Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton items, saying, ‘It seems like his collection is made from the suffering of animals!’ They demanded, ‘Pharrell, please stop causing pain to creatures! Ostriches are being cruelly treated by being hung upside down, subjected to electric shocks, and their throats cut!’

Pharrell acknowledged the interruption and said, “You’re correct, thank you for that, let’s move on peacefully,” before asking the audience to appreciate the protestor’s viewpoint. The protestor persisted with her statement, “Pharrell, stop hurting animals,” as she was guided out of the auditorium.

Following the removal of the protester, Pharrell tackled her concerns head-on, saying to the crowd, “Rome wasn’t built overnight. When you aim to alter things and conditions, sometimes you need to find yourself in a position of power and influence, so that you can shift people’s perspectives and foster advancement.

He added, “It’s not always the correct method, and given my role where I speak for such organizations without their knowledge, they end up hurting themselves here. However, when that change occurs, everyone in this room will recall that we have been working on it. Had she simply asked, I would have shared that information with her. Instead, she chose to repeat herself.

I took part in a demonstration organized by PETA, where we disrupted Pharrell’s “Piece by Piece” premiere at TIFF. Our goal was to make Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director aware of the suffering animals endure for fur and wildlife skins. I urge him to make a compassionate choice and switch to faux and vegan alternatives immediately!

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2024-09-11 01:46