Editorial

Furrier’s exit leaves sore spot

The Portland Tribune, Dec 5, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (54 Reader comments)

Few should be surprised that the announcement this past week that Schumacher Furs & Outerwear will move from downtown Portland to the suburbs did not bring an end to the weekly protests outside the store.

Almost every Saturday for the past year, dozens of animal-rights activists have protested on the sidewalk in front of the store at 811 S.W. Morrison St.

Even after the Schumachers announced they would leave town, more than four dozen protesters reportedly gathered outside the store again this past Saturday.

Did they gather to celebrate their victory? We suspect that some possibly did so.

But we also think that yet another afternoon of protests is a clear indication that animal-rights activists, including the organization In Defense of Animals, won’t be satisfied until Schumacher Furs closes its doors permanently.

Portland-area residents should be troubled by this saga.

The protests have not only forced a longtime business from the civic core, but prompted the store’s owner, Gregg Schumacher, to explain his decision to move as a reaction to his family and the store’s customers not feeling safe to come downtown because of the protesters.

The city of Portland came off as not being prompt or willing to use either police action or city policy to limit the more extreme actions of the protesters.

Who will be targeted next?

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