Toronto Naked protesters campaign against Alberta oil sands

LUSH Cosmetics Toronto shop employees wear nothing but "oil barrels" outside there Queen West store to launch campaign against Canada's addiction to tar sands oil on June 9, 2010. (Ernest Doroszuk/QMI Agency)

EDMONTON - Naked protesters from an Edmonton Lush store bared all Wednesday as the store went from soap shop to soap box. Chants like “time for an oil change” could be heard across the avenue as passerby stopped to stare at the oil barrel wearing staff. The international cosmetic chain was protesting the Alberta tar sands. “Today was just about breaking our oil addiction,” said Jennifer O’Holla, a spokewoman for Canadian Lush Cosmetics. Sharing this sentiment was another 148 Lush stores across North America. But not everyone was on board. “Unfortunately, activities like this protest blur the lines between fact and fiction and add nothing to the serious dialogue occurring among reasonable people seeking solutions to our energy challenges,” said Dave Collyer, president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. “Experience shows that collaboration, not confrontation and rhetoric, is the most direct path to results.” For O’Holla, it’s about getting people’s attention so they stop and want to talk on a more personal level. “We’re a cheeky company so we do things in a cheeky way,” she said. “We at least want to get the attention first and then talk seriously.” Lush will continue its campaign against the Alberta tar sands for the next two weeks.

source : http://www.torontosun.com