Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2013 Will Be Bashed By Animal Activists? Protest To Be Staged Near The Venue

Animal activists have expressed their displeasure for the inclusion of SeaWorld's float in the much-anticipated Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2013.

Since the release of CNN's documentary 'Blackfish', SeaWorld has been receiving criticisms for its alleged mistreatment of whales. To show their distaste, activists are planning to line the route of the parade holding placards. While the parade aspires to be free from political agenda, the said float threatens such aspiration.  

"The parade has never taken on, promoted or otherwise engaged in social commentary, political debate or other forms of advocacy," claims Macy's in a statement earlier this week.

According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Macy's has received over 80,000 e-mails from animal lovers demanding to get rid of the float. Despite the pleas to remove the controversial float, Amy Kule, the parade's executive producer firmly says that the float will be staying: "There is no controversy. Our goal is to entertain and that is their goal as well."

The SeaWorld float will be featuring rolling waves, penguins, tropical sea creatures, and the famous orca Shamu. According to animal activists, it is SeaWorld's maltreatment orcas which triggered Tilikum to kill his 40-year-old trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010.

However, SeaWorld claims that the accusations against them are unfounded. The theme park similarly says that their employees are people who are dedicated to care for the animals.

Apart from SeaWorld's controversy, the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 2013 was previously criticized for assigning singer and vegetarian advocate Joan Jett to the wrong float. Jett was originally assigned to sing for South Dakota's tourism float. However, the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association claims that Jett is the wrong person to represent their beef-loving state. Macy's solution is to move Jett and her Blackhearts band to a different float.

It is unknown yet whether Macy's will do something to appease the detractors of the SeaWorld float.