Canada Goose loses court bid to shift London protesters

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Nov 6, 2019

Canada Goose, which is known for its down jackets, has lost a legal battle to prevent animal rights activists from protesting outside its European flagship store in London.

The Regent Street boutique has become a focus of demonstrations since it opened in 2017, with groups frequently gathering outside to complain about the brand’s use of fur and down.

In December 2017, the premium outerwear brand obtained an interim injunction which restricted the number of protesters outside the store to 12. 

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But its bid to make the interim junction a final order failed this week when the High Court dismissed its claims and, pending an appeal, discharged the existing order.

The court found that an individual's right to protest is a deeply embedded legal right, and the judge refused to restrict it when the court could not be satisfied that the protesters had committed a civil wrong.

“The restrictions placed on demonstrations in the injunction are neither necessary nor proportionate,” the court said.

The ruling comes as more and more luxury brands and institutions jump on the fur-free bandwagon following years of pressure from activist groups. Prada, Gucci, Chanel and even the Queen have committed to stop using fur products in recent months.

Commenting on the Canada Goose case, Peta director Elisa Allen said: “The fact that Canada Goose tried to take such drastic and erroneous measures to silence legitimate protests shows that we're winning.

“If the company wants to stop protests, it can join the vast majority of the fashion industry and the British public in ditching cruelly obtained fur and embracing warm, stylish, and modern vegan materials."