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8 Greenpeace Activists Arrested At Mattel HQ

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (CBS) — Eight Greenpeace activists, who were protesting at Mattel Inc. headquarters in El Segundo, were arrested Tuesday. Greenpeace claims the toy giant's packaging contributes to the destruction of rainforests in Indonesia.

"Unwrap the glossy pink box and you'll find Barbie's dirty secret," said a statement issued by the group best known for defending whales. "Her packaging is made from the rainforests of Indonesia, which are being ripped down for quick profits."

All eight are expected to be booked on suspicion of trespassing, according to Sgt. Mike Gill.

Mattel issued the following statement, saying executives had recently met to Greenpeace members to discuss their concerns:

"Playing responsibly has long been an important part of Mattel's business practices, as evidenced by our Corporate Responsibility activities during the past decade. Over the past months, we have been in communication with Greenpeace on a variety of papersourcing issues. We are surprised and disappointed that they have taken this inflammatory approach ... We will continue to assess our paper sourcing and packaging improvements as we move forward."

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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