James Cromwell arrested at SeaWorld protest days after completing jail sentence
Oscar-nominated actor James Cromwell was arrested Monday for joining a PETA protest at a SeaWorld San Diego orca show, one week after he served several days in jail for a 2015 sit-in.
The "Babe" actor, armed with a megaphone and sporting a T-shirt with the words "SeaWorld Sucks," interrupted a show called "Orca Encounter."
"They are suffering, and you have to know that," the 77-year-old yelled to the crowd before he was taken away in handcuffs.
PETA said in a statement their presence at the family-friendly "abusement" park was in protest of the park's treatment of its sea creatures, in particular, the small tanks and the fact that the animals have been given the drug diazepam to manage stress-induced aggressive behavior.
The noted animal rights group said its goal is for the park to release the orcas into coastal sanctuaries.
"Orcas deserve a full life in the ocean, not a life sentence of swimming endless circles until they drop dead from disease," Cromwell said in a statement. "My friends at PETA and I want SeaWorld to move these intelligent animals to seaside sanctuaries without delay."
SeaWorld has long been under scrutiny for its treatment of animals. The controversy was highlighted in the 2013 documentary "Blackfish," which told the story of Tilikum, a SeaWorld orca that was involved in the deaths of three people.
The park’s director of communications David Koontz, however, dismissed the day’s events as nothing more than a PETA publicity stunt.
“We promptly managed the disruption and our guests were pleased with our actions,” he said in a statement. “The truth is that all our animals, including our orcas, are healthy and get extraordinary veterinary care from a dedicated and loving team of experts... While only seven protestors were trespassed at SeaWorld today, tens of thousands of people have been inspired by our animals and our new ‘Orca Encounter.’"
Cromwell's presence at the protest comes just days after he was released from jail after being sentenced for obstruction of traffic for taking part in a 2015 sit-in at a power plant in upstate New York.
Cromwell was one of several who took issue with the construction of a 650-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in Wawayanda, N.Y., close to his home.
The actor was sentenced to a week in jail after he refused to pay a $375 fine and complete 16 hours of community service. He entered the Orange County Jail July 14, and was released the morning of July 17, according to the Times Herald-Record.
"Once you commit yourself to commit an act of disobedience, you know there is going to be consequences," he told People. "They imposed this ridiculous fine and 16 hours of community service. What seemed incongruous to me was why should I admit guilt and thereby besmirch the whole idea of what we were doing and the importance of it. So I said I'm not gonna pay the fine, I'd rather go to jail."
Cromwell also admitted that his brief stint in the big house would have no effect on his plans to continue standing up for what he believes in.
"I can't really talk about them, but as soon as I get out of jail, I'm going somewhere else to do another action," he told People, likely referring to Monday's SeaWorld stunt. "I don't separate things in my life. Who I am is what I do — I act, I practice my craft and I also stand up for the things I believe in. That's what we all have to do."
Cromwell, an accomplished actor with roles in films like "The Green Mile" and "L.A. Confidential," will next appear on screen in 2018's "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom."
The funny thing is that these people paid a shitton of money for a ticket into SeaWorld, just to protest at Orca Encounter (which is the most educational show I’ve seen at SeaWorld, ever). This is what you support if you support PETA, and this is what you support if you support animal rights organisations that work together and support PETA. You’re not supporting a good cause, you’re supporting shitheads.
