Ethiopian Airlines staff filed a police report Thursday against protestors with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, after coal was dumped inside and outside their office in Del Ray.
Protestors posted “Closed FOR CRUELTY” signs one the business windows and dumped two wheelbarrows of coal in front of the airline’s D.C.-area office at 3133 Mount Vernon Avenue. Some protestors dressed as Santa Claus and Christmas elfs.
The protest is the latest in a string of similar events, and it closed the Ethiopian Airlines office for part of the day. Staff were forced to clean up a pile of coal that was dumped inside the business lobby.
Peta campaigner Mason Melito said that the airline is on PETA’s “naughty list” this year.
“This holiday, PETA is gifting a colossal amount of coal to Ethiopian Airlines on behalf of all the monkeys it has trapped into tiny wooden crates and crammed into dark cargo holds for over 30 hours at a time,” Melito said. “It’s time for Ethiopian Airlines to join nearly every other major airline in ceasing its monkey shipments.”
Melito denied that PETA protestors dumped coal inside the lobby area. He said that it must have been “coincidentally” dumped by someone else, or by some other group.
Below is a video taken by Ethiopian Airlines staff and shared with ALXnow.
