Yes, I know that reads like a headline from The Onion, but this is the real deal, folks.
According to police reports, two protesters were arrested at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank yesterday morning after chaining themselves to the front gate. Oh, and they were wearing Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes, of course. Duh.
Learn more about the happiest arrest on Earth after the jump.
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The activists were protesting Disney's use of paper that contains fiber from endangered Indonesian rain forests, which they claim the company uses in its children's books. That's one hell of a specific thing to protest, if you asked me.
Still, Disney spokeswoman Michelle Bergman labeled the protest as a “publicity stunt,” and stated that Disney recently adopted a policy that by September all paper used in their books and magazines will contain recycled content, be sourced from certified
forests or be of known origin. The new policy, however, will only be instated with their North American publishers.
That might not be good enough for Laurel Sutherlin, spokesman for Rainforest Action Network and the man responsible for organizing yesterday's protest.
Sutherlin told The Los Angeles Times yesterday:
“Today's protest is a loud and colorful message to the executives at
Disney that it's totally unacceptable for them to continue to drag
their feet when Indonesian rain forests are falling at one of the
highest rates in the world.”
Yesterday's arrests of Mickey and Minnie Mouse came on the heels of the arrest of Tigger who was charged earlier this week with “inappropriate touching” on Disneyland's new ride “TSA Pat-Down.”
