... Was the theme of NZAVS picket at the opening night of The Great Moscow Circus in Wellington on the cool and blustery evening of Friday 11 January 1985.

Well covered by press and radio the circus patrons were entertained for two hours whilst queuing for tickets - with nowhere else to look but into a sea of anti-circus banners held high by 50 chanting NZAVS members and pretty tableau made further interest as our "bear tamer" prodded and poked her victim through its paces on the end of a length of rope!

Tickets purchased, circus-goers moved through the main gates flanked by an NZAVS guard of honour bearing the messages Rights for Animals and Mobilise for Animals. Every child was offered a free circus quiz by our battery of "friendly clowns" and two parties of nuns out for a jolly evening at the circus were serenaded with an impromptu and rousing rendition of...

Onward christian soldiers

Prior to the picket the text of the address given by Bette Overell was as follows:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen:... We eat them: We Wear them: We laugh at them:
I would like to congratulate the more enlightened citizens of Wellington for turning out in opposition to the Moscow Circus for forcing wild animals to perform tricks against their will, for financial profit... and for the New Zealand authorities for allowing this perverted spectacle to come to this country.

We are not here to convince circus patrons that animal acts are degrading and cruel because this knowledge must come from within themselves... However what is clear to us here tonight will eventually be clear to every decent human being - and when that day arrives... and not before... then we may be on the brink of calling ourselves civilised.

• In Great Britain 64 Councils have banned circuses with animal acts from taking place on Council ground.
• Last year the Greater London area declared illegal all circuses which contain performing animals.
• In Denmark and Sweden circuses with animal acts have been banned.
• Last month in Bromley (Kent) the Council banned live animal circuses on Council grounds.
• In December last the Ku-Ring Gai Municipal Council on Sydney's Upper North Shore banned circuses which use performing animals... since then Box Hill and Fitzroy Councils have banned circuses using animals for entertainment.

Ladies and gentlemen we must ensure that this is the last spectacle of its kind ever to visit this country...

NZAVS: A small victory?

As the protest followed through in Christchurch and Dunedin where the Circus received tremendous "receptions" it was without surprise or regret - and a feeling of success that we learned of its decision not to return to New Zealand in the foreseeable future!

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