'Cruelty Shouldn't Fly': Actor James Cromwell Locked In Cage In LAX Protest
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Academy Award-nominated actor James Cromwell voluntarily caged himself Monday at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) as part of a protest against alleged cruelty to monkeys.
Cromwell, 74, was placed in a shipping crate large enough to fit his 6-foot-7-inch frame as part of the protest inside the Air France international terminal, according to a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) spokesperson.
Protesters called for Air France - which PETA claims is the only major airline in the world to still ship primates to laboratories - to change their policies regarding such transfers, PETA officials said. Air France shipped at least 5,500 monkeys to U.S. laboratories in 2013, according to PETA.
"The real horror story is the pain and terror of the monkeys in Air France's cargo holds beneath the feet of unsuspecting passengers," said Cromwell . "My friends at PETA and I are telling Air France that cruelty shouldn't fly."
There was no immediate response to the protest from Air France officials.
Last February, Cromwell was arrested for interrupting a meeting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to protest alleged mistreatment of cats during experiments conducted by the university. The Oscar-nominated star of "Babe" pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct charges and paid a fine.
