PETA Protesters in Pasadena Decry H&M Over Alleged Duck Suffering for Down Products

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) demonstrators staged a protest against H&M in Pasadena on Saturday, Dec. 23, alleging the company uses duck down acquired by cruel and unethical means in its clothing products.

The demonstration was part of a series of protests organized by PETA across the United States and overseas last week.

The campaign against H&M stems from PETA-conducted investigations into the alleged mistreatment of ducks at facilities supplying down to the clothing company. The protests in he U.S. and Europe have included giant “ducks” outside H&M stores and symbolic displays of fake dead ducks.

“Down is always a product of extreme violence and cruelty,” said Amanda Brody, Assistant Manager for PETA’s International Grassroots Campaigns Department. “H&M can never be the conscientious company it claims to be as long as it sells feathers from birds subjected to such inhumane practices.”

Brody urged consumers to check product labels and avoid purchasing items containing down or other animal-derived materials.

H&M however denies it is violating any ethical standards. In a statement to Fox News o Dec. 19, H&M Group said “Animal welfare is very important to us at H&M and no animals should be harmed in the production of our products.”

“We only accept down or feathers from farms that are certified according to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS),” H&M said. “It is a global standard that allows companies to ensure that their certified down in their products comes from ethically treated geese and duck. H&M Group does not accept down or feathers from live-plucked birds or from farms practicing live-plucking or force-feeding practice.”

In Pasadena, Brody and the other protesters on Saturday handed out a lot of leaflets with information about how they can help. Brody added there are many animal-free materials available today for the clothing industry.

“We’re making vegan down from flowers, tree fiber and bamboo,” she said. “There’s simply no excuse to keep wearing or buying down products. So whenever people find out that information, typically they’re glad to learn of it and to learn how they can help save animals every single day with these simple things they can do by just checking labels whenever they’re shopping.”