R&B/soul icon Patti LaBelle became the latest victim of anti-fur protesters on Tuesday (25Apr17) when they interrupted her book signing in New York City.
Patti Labelle, 72, was promoting her latest recipe release, Desserts LaBelle: Soulful Sweets to Sing About, at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Manhattan when animal rights activists, who had been posing as fans, pounced.
In video footage obtained by TMZ.com, the demonstrators are shown having their photo taken with LaBelle, before suddenly breaking out into chants, taking aim at the superstar for her love of fashionable furs.
“Shame on you for supporting the fur industry!” declared one man, before leading the protesters in repeatedly shouting, “Fur trade! Death trade!” and “Patti LaBelle has blood on her hands!”
They also pulled out images of animals being skinned for their fur and held up signs, with one reading: “Soulless Sister”.
Security officials moved quickly to shuffle the activists out, as Patti stood back in shock.
The stunt is virtually identical to the one pulled on former Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland in New Jersey earlier this month (Apr17) when demonstrators interrupted her book signing at a store in Ridgewood.
The singer had been meeting fans and autographing copies of her new parenting book, Whoa, Baby!: A Guide for New Moms Who Feel Overwhelmed and Freaked Out (And Wonder What the #*@& Just Happened), when she was targeted, prompting Kelly to run into a back room to collect her emotions before returning to resume the signing.
Animal rights activists also verbally attacked Kylie Jenner at the grand opening of the Sugar Factory restaurant in Las Vegas on Saturday night (22Apr17), causing the startled reality TV star to cut short the appearance and abandon the event.
