New York, United States - November 15, 2024 A dramatic scene unfolded at Coach’s New York headquarters today as PETA supporters stormed the lobby during the company’s annual meeting, calling for an end to its leather sales. The demonstration turned chaotic as protesters chanted, used noisemakers, and defaced the building with messages like “Leather Kills” and a bloody “cow head” display. The building was locked down, and two protesters were arrested while shouting, “Coach has blood on its hands!” The protest, organized by PETA’s youth division, peta2, targeted Coach’s marketing of leather as “sustainable” under its Coachtopia brand. During the meeting, PETA confronted Coach leadership with a powerful question on behalf of shareholders: “When will Coach replace cruel leather with innovative, vegan alternatives?” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman condemned leather, likening it to fur, saying, “Leather is the new fur, and just like fur, it was sliced off the bodies of suffering animals.” A PETA exposé of leather processing linked to Coach revealed disturbing footage of cruelty toward cows and other animals. The leather industry, according to PETA, also contributes significantly to climate change and environmental destruction. Today’s disruption was a preview of PETA’s upcoming Free the Animals Friday protests, planned for Black Friday, in which activists will rally at Coach stores across the country to encourage shoppers to choose cruelty-free, vegan materials.