Hunan protesters object to Moon Festival crab craze
Staff Reporter 2012-09-20 08:29
A young woman covered in plastic wrap protests the craze for the seasonal delicacy. (Internet photo)
A group of demonstrators in Hunan province including eight women in swimsuits and one woman covered only by plastic wrap and liquid resembling blood smeared on her arms, recently protested against the shipping of Chinese mitten crabs into the province.
The protestors placed themselves in front of a recently opened restaurant that sells the crab, seasonally harvested and considered a delicacy, reports Hunan-based news website Huasheng Xianshang.
Their slogan — "Have more concern for our country; give fewer gifts to friends" — highlights the craze for the crabs that peaks during the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival. A gift of the crab, found in Yangcheng Lake near Shanghai and also known as the Shanghai hairy crab, is regarded as an expensive and rare treat to receive from a friend.
The protestors said they are members of an environmental organization whose aim is to protect China's ecology, which is disturbed by the massive orders for the crabs during the holiday season.
Not all internet users agreed with the method used to protest the sales of the crab. One asked why it was necessary to take one's clothes off to protest, accusing the women of seeking attention. Another said it could have been a ploy on the part of the restaurant for promotion.
