OSLO, 14 NOVEMBER 2015 – Today NOAH – for animal rights, Norway’s largest animal rights organization and Fur Free Alliance member, is hosting NOAH´s march against fur – an event that gathers thousands of people every year. The march has been an annual event for twelve years, and has become Europe’s largest anti-fur event.

Every year thousands of people march in the streets of Oslo, as well as in other Norwegian cities, demanding a ban of fur farming in Norway. This year 13 000 are expected to come in 24 Norwegian cities. Siri Martinsen, veterinarian and director of NOAH, says:

‘In our demand for a fur-free Norway, we have gained support from the majority of the Norwegian population, the Norwegian fashion industry, several professional bodies such as the Norwegian Veterinary Association, five political parties and 200 celebrities. It is starting to become a serious democratic problem that a ban on fur farming is still not in place.’

Despite the delays, many Norwegian politicians are strongly against fur – some of them are speaking at the event, and the speeches are started by the mayor of Oslo, Marianne Borgen. Martinsen:

‘NOAH is very happy to have the mayor of the capital speak for the animals at our event. It is significant that high ranking politicians speak up for animals’

Martinsen and NOAH recently visited the EU-parliament together with colleagues from Finland to launch a report about the Nordic fur industry. The report “Nordic fur trade – marketed as responsible business” highlights that the claim of high ethical standards made by the Nordic fur trade are in stark contrast to the reality in fur farms and criticised by animal welfare experts. Martinsen: