Teenager arrested in anti-whaling protest

A 14-year old girl was arrested in London on Thursday for protesting against whaling at the Japanese embassy. The girl had tied herself to the embassy’s staircase.

Sophie Wyness was joined by her father, Martin, in the lobby of the embassy. The two used cables to attach themselves to the stone staircase located inside the embassy’s lobby in order to protest against the “brutal murder” of whales.

The teenager said, “They’re such amazing creatures and they deserve rights and love and a bit of respect… I have total respect for the Japanese people but not what they’re doing out there with the whales.”

According to a London police officer, two people were detained at a London police station on the suspicion of trespassing.

Japan is one of the few countries in the world which still participates in whale hunting, citing a loophole in the 1986 worldwide whaling moratorium. The agreement allows for “lethal research” of whales, allowing Japan to kill just over 1,000 of the mammals every year.

Norway and Iceland are the only two countries which still participate in significant commercial whaling. Last year, Iceland suspended its whale quota after it failed to find a market for its whale meat products. Japan and Iceland are still discussing a possible agreement on the trade of whale meat.

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