2ND LEAD (Corrections)

Protest unsettles Victoria's Secret's catwalk

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 November 2009, 00:12 GMT]
Several American Tamil activists protested in front of the midtown Manhattan New York State armory building where Victoria's Secret catwalk event was being held Thursday evening. While celebrities were arriving to attend the popular event, the protesters highlighted the Corporation's trade with Sri Lanka as aiding and abetting crimes against humanity, and war-crimes. "The New York Police attempted to harass the protesters, but we carried on our protest much to the dismay of the catwalk organizers," said a protest organizer.

The protesters distributed brochures that urged ethical Americal consumers to boycott Sri Lanka's products, and carried banners and placards that accused Victoria's Secret of continuing to trade with Sri Lankan State that is widely believed to have committed war crimes on Tamil civilians during the State's offensives against Tigers early this year.

Ellyn Shander, the Connecticut physician, who was one of the attendees, said that "a wider boycott campaign" is being planned for the end of November as a part of mobilizing the Tamil diaspora to continue sustained boycott campaign to make significant dents in Sri Lanka's international trade.

Chronology: