Animal encounters on the rise
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Animal showdown
Credits: REUTERS
NIAGARA FALLS - Marineland has filed its second lawsuit in less than a month.
This time the marine-animal theme park is taking aim at Marineland Animal Defense founder Dylan Powell.
The statement of claim was filed at the St. Catharines courthouse Friday afternoon.
It asks for a permanent restraint from Powell and his company from trespassing on Marineland's property, the Niagara Falls Animal Medical Centre's property, Marineland owner John Holer's property, Marineland veterinarian June Mergl's property and any residence or private property owned by a Marineland employee.
It also says Powell can't protest within 500 metres of any of those properties.
In addition, Powell is being sued for $1.5 million for general damages.
"It's a SLAPP suit, a strategic lawsuit against public participation," Powell said during a telephone interview with QMI Agency Friday.
Powell organized numerous protests against the park throughout the summer.
The largest had nearly 500 activists with signs and bullhorns begging visitors to turn away from the park, chanting "There blood is on your hands" and "Stop and think about where your money goes."
That protest came after allegations of animal abuse and neglect were first made by former Marineland employees to a Toronto newspaper in August.
According to the claim, Powell and a group of activists illegally stormed into Marineland during a live marine-mammal show Oct. 7 and "engaged in deliberate, aggressive, intimidating, threatening, hostile and very loud shouting in order to halt (the show)."
In November, Powell organized a "Follow the Money" march at the animal-medical centre on Morrison St., where Mergl's husband, Ron, operates his business.
The march ended at Holer's Chippawa home and, according to the claim, there was an incident where "abusive and threatening messages" were left on the medical centre's property.
Powell has denied such allegations.
The claim says Marineland has been the subject of what it calls "minor legal secondary picketing and protest activity" during its 51 years of existence and doesn't seek to limit such actions, so long as they are done peacefully.
