Red Lobster Redux: Demonstrators Return to Ask the Restaurant Chain to Protect Seals

Blane and Bloomington, Minnesota

Our demo at the Red Lobster went fine! We did the 5:30-7:00 slot. It was great and a very busy location! We didn't get enough of the protesting the first time around, so we all were interested in doing another demonstration at another Red Lobster in Bloomington, a town nearby.

We rallied at the Bloomington location during dinner hour: 6:00-8:00. It is also a busy location, and we got a lot of feedback from people. We handed out at least 50 leaflets, postcards, and more. One old guy thought it was so cool that we were working for the poor seals that he blew us a kiss on his second trip by."—Colleen Myers

Brea, California

"We had about 15 dedicated activists participate on Saturday, September 17. Several held signs or carried large banners, while others handed out information leaflets to pedestrians and motorists. We talked to a lot of people that evening, successfully convincing several to dine at one of the other restaurants in the area and agree to not patronize Red Lobster restaurants until the company agreed to join the boycott. People were shocked to hear that this cruel slaughter takes place every spring. They were even more shocked to learn that Red Lobster and its parent company, Darden, Inc., has so far refused to join the boycott."—Debbie McCarter

Burlington, Ontario

"It was a beautiful day, and we had a great activists turnout from Burlington and Hamilton. There were a number of people who stopped their cars, pulled over to talk with us, and said they supported our boycott and our efforts to end the seal hunt. Two cars of people stopped to give us their email addresses and said they wanted to join us for the next demo. Four cars turned away from the restaurant when they read our signs. A couple of the customers assured us that they wouldn't eat Canadian seafood. Several people walking by joined us.

The activists, most of whom had never met before, decided to form an animal rights group that will continue to tackle the issue of the seal hunt and Red Lobster's support of it as well as other animal issues. It was a tremendously positive experience." —Anupama Malik

Kitchener, Ontario

"Eight activists, including students from the University of Guelph and a professor from the University of Waterloo, came out to protest. The students seemed to know a lot about the issue and to be very dedicated. One of the students approached customers as they left the restaurant and asked them what they thought about the seal hunt and what we were doing. The majority of them said they supported us, wanted the seal hunt to end, and were glad we were protesting outside the restaurant. We asked people not to eat snow crab, lobster, shrimp, scallops, salmon, or mussels at Red Lobster until the seal hunt ended. Some agreed and promised they'd eat non-Canadian seafood."   

—Karen Levenson

Lakewood, California

"The demo was such a success! We had about 25 people throughout the evening and it was very spirited due to a bullhorn I got from eBay and this passionate activist who never stopped pleading with customers to take their business elsewhere. We got SO many honks and convinced several customers to go to another restaurant. We even got a few to go in and tell the manager exactly why they were leaving!"—Jennifer Lyons

Mississauga, Ontario

"The demo was great! Six people were there. Mostly I'd say the response was great, and mostly everyone who we talked to was really nice. About 6 cars full of people left because they read our information and told us they did not want to eat at Red Lobster. Other people drove in, and said things like, "You're doing a great job, keep it up."—Michelle Ainsworth

Orlando, Florida

"The two Red Lobster demonstrations in Orlando were well-attended by HSUS staff and local members, activists with the Orlando Animal Rights Alliance, and the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, and a national group, Harpseals.org. A bus stop and a large hotel right near one of the Red Lobster locations made for a busy location, and many local people and international tourists stopped to ask us questions about Red Lobster and the seal hunt. Several Florida television news crews and one radio news crew attended our Monday lunch-hour protest. They got great footage of our demonstrators holding signs and passing out information."—Andrea Cimino

Toronto, Ontario

"About 15 concerned Torontonians gathered outside of the Red Lobster and began a walk to distribute information about the seafood boycott throughout the Queen Street West neighborhood. We walked for about 2 hours, carrying signs, handing out pamphlets and postcards, and chatting with passersby. We were well received by most of the Queen Street West crowd, many of whom were glad to hear that they could do something to help the seals. We even made an appearance on the Speakers' Corner show at the City TV building, spreading our message to boycott Canadian seafood to end the seal hunt!"   —Taunya Ahier

Winnipeg, Manitoba

"About a dozen people demonstrated at a major Winnipeg Red Lobster during the supper hours on Sunday. The demonstrators handed out literature to many dozens of restaurant patrons and passersby, many of whom stopped to ask about the issues and the reason for the boycott. There was widespread shock and outrage about the scale and brutality of the massacre and approval of the effort to end it. At least one would-be patron, after hearing about the issue, turned around to take his business elsewhere. The demonstration was visible to hundreds of cars that passed down the major Winnipeg thoroughfare, some of them honking their approval."—Dave Nickarz