30 Calling for Ban on Ivory Sales Protest at Import Firm

About 30 animal rights activists calling for a ban on the sale of ivory demonstrated outside a Laguna Beach business Saturday, saying ivory sales are leading to the decimation of the world’s elephant population.

Police said there were no confrontations or arrests during the protest in front of Warren Imports at 1910 S. Coast Highway.

The demonstration was staged by Orange County People for Animals, a newly formed Costa Mesa-based group.

“We are very disturbed and upset that the callous and insensitive people at Warren continue to sell ivory . . . because we believe that it is directly contributing to the extinction of a species, and worse, that it is indirectly contributing to a terrible form of animal abuse,” said Ava Parks, founder of the group.

Representatives of Last Chance for Animals, the Society Against Vivisection and People for Reason in Science and Medicine also participated in the demonstration.

Warren Imports is one of the largest importing firms in Orange County, but company officials said it mostly deals in older pieces of ivory that have been traded or bought in the United States rather than imported.

Black Market Created

“We haven’t bought any new ivory since 1976,” said Michael May, manager and vice president of Warren Imports. “We would not buy any that we could not certify as legal. That’s why I feel bad that they are picketing us.”

Protesters stood on both sides of Coast Highway waving signs urging a boycott of the business.

Several passers-by and cars on the busy highway yelled and honked their approval.

Although there were no arrests, demonstrators early on stood in front of the doors to the business to block entry and were told by police to move aside. There were no other incidents.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, as many as 300 elephants are slaughtered every day in Africa for their tusks, which are sculpted into bracelets, earrings and statues and sold on the international market.

The society estimates that only about 400,000 elephants remain in the wild, down from 1.3 million nine years ago.

Animal rights activists say the demand for ivory has created a black market supplied by poachers.

“I think people should boycott all stores that sell ivory. That is the only way to stop it,” said Judy Stricker, president of the Costa Mesa-based Society Against Vivisection.

“This is not an animal rights issue, it’s a human rights issue because without wildlife there would be no human beings.”

However, May said boycotting his store would not halt the sale of ivory.

“If a boycott of ivory would stop illegal selling, then their actions are justified and I would be all for them,” May said. “But the problem has to be stopped where elephants live.”

May said his company stocks about two dozen ivory pieces estimated to be worth less than $20,000. But he said ivory sales represent less than 1% of the company’s business, which also includes antique furniture, porcelain, screens and paintings.

“If I thought I had a piece of ivory that was suspect, I would burn it so enjoyment of it would go no further,” May said.