Circus objects to notice issued by Education Directorate

Max Farrugia

Dec 3rd 2009, 21:58

@M. MIfsud Bonnici. I can assure you that it is not only the Maltese that protest against circus. In late september 2009, Austria won a case in the European court against the ECA European Circus Association and now Ausrtia is Circus Free. ENDCAP with representatives from 21 different member states is at the moment lobbying MEPs to make some changes in the present EU regulations. PIE is working with the MEPs in favour of the Pet Companion animals. Eurogroup for animalwelfare works for the farm animals and exotic animals. These are some groups which I know that they work to better the conditions of the animals. Let us be realistic and admit that there is cruelty behind the scenes. I am ready to meet you whenever you like and show you video taken of the animals being beaten when they are not performing. Some of the shots were taken by members of the circus team and where sacked for doing so.

Saviour Pace

Nov 29th 2009, 08:58

or matbe this !!!! http://www.starbreezes.com/11/circusabuse.html

Saviour Pace

Nov 29th 2009, 08:57

Worth seeing this !!! http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=carson_barnes&Player=wm

A. Borg

Nov 29th 2009, 08:12

Go and watch the movie "The Cove" and it will give you enough reason why we must never attend circuses where animals are employed.

R. Schembri

Nov 29th 2009, 01:02

fox hunting is banned in UK I believe.

The point here is animal cruelty should be stopped. I know some enjoy violence and torture and probably that is what drives people to have pleasure from watching animals performing UNnatural things.

same goes for parents who leave pets in their childrens responsibilty to use them as toys.

Fabien Sant Fournier

Nov 29th 2009, 00:14

I recall attending the circus as a child & being called out to toss a ball to a seal...but I now look back onto those memories with disgust and cant stand the sight of animal circuses.(or zoos)

Animal circuses teach children that animals are mere commodities. They are not a display of human skill but merely a display of arrogance! Such circuses are merely taking the easy road by enforcing phyicsal might onto defenceless animals. Performances such as Cirque du soleil are where true talent shines...if you want to see wild animals go on a safari!!

edwin formosa

Nov 29th 2009, 00:11

Nispera li dawn is-sinjuri difensuri tat-tigri u l-iljuni ghandhom l-istess hegga li jiddefendu il-futuri bnedmin bhalhom li jitqattghu , jinqatlu u jintremew kulljum b'mod legali f'dawk il-pajjizi li semmew. Jekk taqfel annimal f'gagga hi krudelta, tbiccer tarbija nnocenti qabel titwieled x'inhi?

Franco Farrugia

Nov 28th 2009, 22:14

@ Raymond Sammut: Well said. People who don't wish the original message to be spread, will use any means to jump to various topics which are not at issue.

Raymond Sammut

Nov 28th 2009, 21:20

@ MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

The issue here is about the use of animals in circuses. The practice of using animals in circuses to gratify ourselves, while depriving them of their natural habitat, is well and truly on the way out. And the Education Directorate have no right to lead children to believe that there is nothing wrong in depriving animals of their natural habitat. Children will make their own judgment once they grow older and gain enough insight into what circus operators are actually doing.

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Nov 28th 2009, 20:20

http://www.petakillsanimals.com/

Animal lovers worldwide now have access to more than a decade’s worth of proof that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) kills thousands of defenseless pets at its Norfolk, Virginia headquarters. Since 1998, PETA has opted to “put down” 21,339 adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens instead of finding homes for them.

PETA’s “Animal Record” report for 2008, filed with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, shows that the animal rights group killed 95 percent of the dogs and cats in its care last year. During all of 2008, PETA found adoptive homes for just seven pets.


PETA has a $32 million annual budget. But instead of investing in the lives of the thousands of flesh and blood creatures in its care, the group spends millions on media campaigns telling Americans that eating meat, drinking milk, fishing, hunting, wearing leather shoes, and benefiting from medical research performed on lab rats are all “unethical.”

The bottom line: PETA’s leaders care more about cutting into their advertising budget than finding homes for the six pets they kill on average, every single day.

That’s not an animal charity. It’s a slaughterhouse.

andrew debono

Nov 28th 2009, 19:50

At those PETA supporters http://www.petakillsanimals.com/ nice example if you visit this site.

No so angels are they

Let people decide to see what they want to see. Usually the minority which makes more sound

John Micallef

Nov 28th 2009, 19:21

If the circus was given a license to operate, the education dipartment should have done better to try to do something before such license has been issued.

From the other end, if the Education dipartment respects the animals like this, can they at least respect in the same was children & staff at schools in the same way??

Plenty of examples can be given on this principle.

Raymond Sammut

Nov 28th 2009, 18:55

The trend now is "nouveau cirque", a brand of circuses that started way back in the seventies. These put more emphasis on artwork, and hardly have any acts involving animals. One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Australia was Circus Oz based in Melbourne. It is Australia's premier circus which tours internationally. Its main marketing feature is that it does not include animals in any of its acts.

Bolivia now has national laws which ban all animals altogether from circuses. Austria, Costa Rica, Finland and Denmark prohibit only wild animals at this stage. Numerous councils in Australia do not allow circuses to bring any animals into their territory.

In my view, the use of animals only makes it easier to the operators. It is comparatively simpler to create an "act" by employing control over animals. Circus Oz work a lot harder to design, construct and implement every one of their acts. They have what are known as "secret workshops" in Melbourne to protect their artwork and engineering ideas.

C Micallef

Nov 28th 2009, 16:59

I agree with the position taken by Education Division.

M Williams

Nov 28th 2009, 16:32

@ Mark Mifsud Bonnici

'You have still to prove that this circus mistreats its animals or is in any way illegal to be believed.'

Extract from Corriere della Sera, 8 Feb 2006: (search Circo Fantasy)

GABBIE PICCOLE - Ad essere violata era stata in particolare la norma dell'art.16 del regolamento comunale sulla tutela degli animali che prevede che la detenzione di questi animali nei circhi sia consentita nel rispetto di una serie di requisiti. Tra questi, ad esempio, quelli relativi alle dimensioni delle gabbie. Per i grandi felini, come le tigri, è previsto che il ricovero avvenga in strutture di 15 metri quadrati per esemplare, ampliato di 8 metri quadrati per ogni animale in più e comunque non oltre i quattro esemplari per gabbia. Nel circo del Prenestino, invece, sono state trovate gabbie di appena 12 metri quadrati e in una di esse erano ospitate fino a 5 tigri. Gli animali inoltre erano lasciati in balia delle intemperie, non essendovi dispositivi di isolamento termico, e perfino senz'acqua. Le ricerche sono tutt'ora in corso.
Has anyone bothered to measure the animal cages recently, not that the cage size makes any difference. Tigers should NOT be kept in cages fullstop.

Franco Farrugia

Nov 28th 2009, 16:16

We, animal-lovers, are duty bound to keep animals away from harm and that is why we do our best to inspire people not to visit the Circus. In doing so, you will only be encouraging business people to continue using animals, being cruel to them, in order to earn money.
@ Edward Zammit: You seem to see nothing wrong with animals being forced to 'entertain' you in a cheap manner. Obviously, you are of a different fabric than I am. You have not been 'touched' by the love for animals. In a way, I pity you. In another way, I pity the animals for having to entertain you. So much for education.

Eric Gahn

Nov 28th 2009, 16:13

'European Culture"?

Hangings and auto-de-fe's were once European culture too. If the Circus' Director volunteers to participate as the very centre of either attraction, I will personally write to anyone who might listen to include animals in circus as part of European Cultural Heritage with a protected status.

M Williams

Nov 28th 2009, 16:06

@ Mark Mifsud Bonnici
Nobody is stopping you from taking your family to the Circus and continuing to indoctrinate them to think that animals are subserv ient, and humans have the right to do with them as they please including killing them for fun 'passatemp!!!!!' or keeping them in cages.

However ,there are many of us who prefer to see animals in their natural environment, doing what comes naturally. Nowadays, there are many excellent documentaries which show animals in their natural habitats. There is nothing educational in seeing an animal perform tricks..... that is NOT its natural behaviour, so well done to the Education Division for not organising official trips to the Circus. There are many renowned circuses which feature only human performers, the humans have a choice whether to perform in a Circus or to walk away...... a choice which is never given to the animals.

If children are really to be given the chance to judge for themselves, they should be made to look beyond the glitz and colour of the performance and they should be shown what happens behind the scenes, the internet provides many undercover videos - only then can they have an informed opinion

Andrea Portelli

Nov 28th 2009, 15:46

Can JS Productions Ltd. please elaborate on what they mean by "cultural losses" ?

Or is it just stupid blabber?

I don't see anything cultural in this.

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Nov 28th 2009, 15:01

a sultana peregin

@ MARK-better stuffed or caged than free-MIFSUD-killing for fun-BONNICI-hobby


There you go proving me right yet again. 10,000,000 people hunt in Europe and millions more the world over. Yet even though you and a few other millions object to it. Hunting is legally recognized in all parts of the world.

The ideals of a few activists will never be imposed upon a sector of society just because they disagree with their practices. That is why hunting is practiced worldwide and also why circuses are still in existence. It is also why the ideals of a few teachers should not affect decisions taken by the Education Directorate, unless it too is composed of biased individuals.

The illegality of any practice is what is to be condemned. You have still to prove that this circus mistreats its animals or is in any way illegal to be believed.

The court judgement will prove whether the Education Directorate directive is based on bias and whether who ever issued such a directive had any right in doing so. This will also establish whether our children are being influenced by a few hot heads

Edward Zammit

Nov 28th 2009, 15:01

You protesters have every right to have your objections. but leave us people who WANT, and ARE going to see these circuses alone. If you don't want to go fine but no-one gives you the right or duty to decide on my behalf if the circus is wanted or not, I and people like myself WANT and ENJOY going to animal circuses and you have no right to take that away from us.

J.Cassar

Nov 28th 2009, 14:52

You are all so goody two-shoes! I won't say that they are educational but I remember having a seriously good time with my school mates every time a circus came to Malta when we were young The closest you can get to a tiger or an elephant is in a circus. Other European countries have zoos. Despite many claims that circus productions harm animals, it has not really been proven. Otherwise they would be charged with cruelty against animals like the Libyan who tried to transport birds in his suitcase and other recent cases. No European country has charged this circus production with anything which means that until proven otherwise, we can only assume they are innocent. Don't we all learn to do difficult tasks which don't come naturally to us? The definition of 'harm' can be very wide. I miss going to the big, colorful tent, the smell of animals, the large intimidating cages, the sweet candy sold at the stalls, the incredible feats performed by man and beast and the ever present clowns which are such an important icon (literature, art, history, etc) in our culture. Storm in a tea-cup as usual.

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Nov 28th 2009, 14:38

The comments below portray how right I am in stating that "The ideals of a few are being imposed upon children in a dictatorial way"

"Even if the company wins the case, teachers are still not going to take pupils to animal circuses." J Bonnici assumes all teachers support his warped views.

"Nobody, not even their employers, tell teachers where to take students outside of school." Franco Farrugia is prepared to take his students wherever he pleases even if he has to disobey his superiors.

Indeed who cares about giving our children an unbiased education. These sort of fanatic comments show that our children are being indoctrinated by a few hot heads.

The fact that like any other circus visiting Malta all shows will be packed to capacity only goes to show that the "warped" are indeed few.

If there is any animal mistreatment in this particular circus prove it! if not then what you are all stating is nothing but assumed sleazy nonsense.

You can rest assured that apart from the few indoctrinated children that have been influenced by your systematic indoctrination. the circus will be packed with children.

adrian aquilina

Nov 28th 2009, 14:16

mark mifsud bonnici is wrong as usual..circuses are banned in countries due to the abuse they inflict..like in other countries hunters are monitored,inc by anti hunting groups,and they dont cry about it like here..you seem to be a person who thinks animals are 2nd class and we own them..sad and very backward way to think..animal rights do a service that is needed due to the abuse so called "humans" inflict for their own fun.it also alerts police to anyone especially young people who hsarm animals as this is a sign of a disturbed person,ie serial killers all start harming animals..a bit of compassion would not hurt,especially as animals ,birds and insects are what helps keep you alive through their role in nature..einstein said human race would die out within 5 years if bees disapeared....circuses do not need animals so they shouldnt have them..all abuse,human or animal must be stopped.educating children not to harm or kill animals is important..showing what circuses do to kids is great..it would be a terrible world without people like greenpiece etc

Claire Busuttil

Nov 28th 2009, 14:07

Circus are not educational at all..........there is no point taking kidsto watch it! Besides Circus is always and will be always, cruelty to animals.

edward bartolo

Nov 28th 2009, 13:03

... and who will defend homo sapiens sapiens? Animal rights everywhere, and yet, many people are subjected to the savage rule of the market! In other words, "Min jiflah ihawwel u min ma jiflahx, ihawluh!"

Priorities? There is no such thing, and we boast of having "values"!

a sultana peregin

Nov 28th 2009, 12:42

@ MARK-better stuffed or caged than free-MIFSUD-killing for fun-BONNICI-hobby

Sweden, Austria, Costa Rica, India, Finland, Singapore, Switzerland, and Denmark have already restricted the use of animals in entertainment. Israel has banned any animal from performing in any circus. In 2009, Bolivia passed legislation banning the use of any animals, wild or domestic, in circuses.

"How does one expect a child to form its own opinion when (we) deny the right of these children to judge for themselves" - there's the interent and they can see cruelty filmed in circuses (behind the curtain)

Franco Farrugia

Nov 28th 2009, 12:38

Nobody, not even their employers, tell teachers where to take students outside of school.

Robert Callus

Nov 28th 2009, 12:14

"in an enlarged Europe, circuses were considered a performing art. "

A so called artist put a dog starving as part of his show. Does it mean we should take our children to see the starving dog?

GPisani

Nov 28th 2009, 11:50

@MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

If you think we only protest in Malta you are wrong. Abroad they oppose these kind of filth and many countries have NGOs who fight against these type of so called art. PETA is not Maltese, they go around, organize protests, video these abuses etc.You can also watch videos on youtube against Animal circuses with petitions for people to ban this cruelty.On the contrary I think we do not do enough in Malta compared to other countries.

Have you ever seen the animals after the show MR. Mifsud Bonnici? Their cages? And have you ever seen Animal Planet? Which is better?

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Nov 28th 2009, 11:39

J. Bonnici

Thank you for proving my point to the letter:

"Even if the company wins the case, teachers are still not going to take pupils to animal circuses."

So it seems some teachers apart from indoctrinating children would also overrule the Education Directorate should the courts decided against this rash decision.

Who ever said childrens minds are not being manipulated with "official" blessings.

Animal rights and animal welfare are two distinct criteria. Animal rights most often verges on the ridiculous. Animal welfare is an obligation to one and all. Hopefully the Education directorate is able to distinguish between the militant activists and those that care for the animal in their keep.

If this particular circus has any record of animal abuse, can anyone please prove it. Failing that I take all the antis comments as being nothing short of sleazy speculation. No less then all the comments directed against hunters, who in their majority respect European Directives regulating hunting.

Circuses too have to abide by European Directives yet it seems our Education Directorate knows better!

Miguel Micallef

Nov 28th 2009, 11:33

I don't think school children are banned from going to the circus, it's just that they are not being sent officially by the school, and I agree 100% on this. There's a big difference. I am not sure what other countries do but I highly doubt that they send them as official school outing.

I also think that it is not the will of the minority that is being imposed on the children, it is quite fast becoming the will of the MAJORITY not to see animals suffer.

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Nov 28th 2009, 11:07

The ideals of a few are being imposed upon children in a dictatorial way. How does one expect a child to form its own opinion when unfounded allegations lead to an official ban by the Education Directorate denying the right of these children to judge for themselves.

Circuses featuring animal shows tour all over Europe and are subject to very stringent control yet no other country has officially banned its school children from attending apart from Malta

These same ideals are what spurred the Hunters Federation to complain to the minister of education about the way hunting was depicted as a vice as part of our children's education.

Indeed animal welfare is a priority, but I am more then sure that this circus and all others that tour the EU would not get past all the animal protection societies in Europe.

It is only in Malta that such "official" farces occur, not surprising since it is only in Malta that a person can import a Tiger without being noticed. It is only in Malta that the ideals of a few biased officials turn into official statements.

I await the court's judgement.

C.A.Magdi

Nov 28th 2009, 11:07

I don't see circuses as a cultural thing. Circuses are there for the people who have the tent, make animals do things they weren't created to do and do the exhibits just to get money out of it. Performing arts is made by humans, quit using animals and surely noone will have anything against a circus who has only perfroming humans. There is no curtural thing in it which can teach us the beauty of diversity between one country and another. Good job to the Education Directorate. As a parent I appreciate what you are doing for our children's education and for an awareness about animal rights. Keep it up.

jane Goodwin

Nov 28th 2009, 10:18

So animals forced to perform is called ART?
What happened to animal rights? And aren`t we to follow rules laid down by the European Parliment?
I don`t want my children to watch animals running around in circles or through hoops,how banal and old hat!
Take the animals out and just have people performing,it is done by other circuses,this one should up date itself and do the same.
Maybe someone could argue as to what is educational about watching animals perfom repetative acts in a circus,driven by people,just for the gain of the people.
I will not be spending my money to watch this, i will go and watch the pantamime instead!

Franco Farrugia

Nov 28th 2009, 09:29

I sincerely hope that the Education authorities will not give in to this.
Malta, is a small country, and we know who is behind JS Productions Ltd and how close they are with the present Party in government.
Performing animals are always uneducational and the Department must not give in to this.
Circuses with animals are not part of our culture.

G.Pisani

Nov 28th 2009, 09:29

I have to agree with the Education directorate. Children should not be exposed to this filth, on the other hand they should be shown videos of Animals being trained for these kind of events. Just go to peta.org and see what animals go through!. All JS Production is seeing is money money money!!!

J.Bonnici

Nov 28th 2009, 09:22

Even if the company wins the case, teachers are still not going to take pupils to animal circuses.