Protestors have been removed from in front of the Interior Savings Credit Union on Bernard downtown.
A group of anti-meat and anti-animal cruelty demonstrators had chained themselves to the doors this morning.
"We doing this because Interior Savings is the title sponsor of Ribfest," said Amy Sorano with Concerned Citizens of Kelowna. "Ribfest is an extremely irresponsible event, both environmentally and ethically. Canada just declared a national climate crises, driven by animal agriculture."
Sorano says the group is very concerned about animal agriculture.
"We believe unjust laws deserve to be broken," she said. "What's happening to animals is completely unjust. Animal agriculture is an industry that relies on secrecy. They're behind walls. People don't know how animals are slaughtered. People don't know how animals are bred and raised for meat consumption. We think the public deserves to know the truth."
Interior savings released the following statement about the protest.
This morning, Interior Savings had a protest group outside its Bernard location. The protestors are not permitting members to enter the building and the RCMP are aware of this situation. Interior Savings has met with the group to hear their concerns about sponsorship of Ribfest.
Interior Savings' approach is to work with groups across its membership to support events that bring the community together, are well-received by the public, and in many instances, raise tens of thousands of dollars to support the important work being done by local non-profits in our communities.
Ribfest is one of those events, raising thousands of dollars to support local charities including Jo-Anna's House - a home away from home for people whose families are receiving life-saving support from KGH.
Ribfest offers free and accessible entertainment to everyone in the community. Like most community events, it offers a selection of food options to suit people's preferences. Interior Savings' appreciates and respects that everyone has a right to their opinion, to share their opinion and to choose a diet that makes sense for them.
Interior Savings remains committed to supporting top-notch community events that raise tens of thousands of dollars for those in our community who need a helping hand.