Anti-ivory trade campaign group Action for Elephants descends on Olympia fair (London)

Author(s)

Laura Chesters, Antiques Trade Gazette

Date Published

See link for photos.

An action group that campaigns for the protection of elephants staged a protest against the trade in antique ivory outside Art & Antiques Fair Olympia, on Saturday afternoon (July 1).

Action for Elephants posted images from the protest on its Facebook page and issued a comment: “What a great afternoon meeting up with such amazing elephant warriors! A massive, massive thank you to all those that came and chanted today and made a stand!”

The group claims that the trade in antique ivory fuels the demand for modern poached ivory and has staged other protests against the buying and selling of antique ivory.

Prior to the protest Mary Claire Boyd, fair director, The Art & Antiques Fair Olympia, said: “All members of the antiques trade, including The Art & Antiques Fair Olympia, fully support all measures to stop the poaching of African elephants and to end the illegal trade in poached ivory.”

Olympia’s vetting procedure ensures any ivory on sale pre-dates March 1947 and is worked, as required by the CITES convention.

Boyd added: “The law states that only pre-1947 ivory items can be offered for sale under the antiques exemption, providing it has been worked. The panel of vetters at the fair, as always, takes a strict line on the vetting of ivory, taking this legislation into account.”

The fair finished on Sunday, July 2.

https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/2017/anti-ivory-trade-campaign-group-action-for-elephants-descends-on-olympia-fair/