Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders gave her vocal chords a workout today (July 16), joining animal activists in a loud protest outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in central Paris. The rock star and a dozen others, including leaders of the animal rights group PETA, were briefly detained by police after blocking traffic on a main boulevard and smearing red paint across the restaurant’s window to symbolize the blood of dead chickens.
The activists were protesting what they called inhumane methods used to kill the chickens used by the fast-food chain.
“The protest won’t end here,” said Hynde, who was scheduled to perform Friday at a festival in western France. “Even if I shout for two hours I can assure you, I’ll still have a voice for the concert.”
After being brought to a nearby police station and released less than an hour later, Hynde praised the French police for their efficiency. “In France, it’s a very healthy protest scene and very common for people to take to the streets to air their grievances,” Hynde said. “We went to a police station, we filled out a form, we’ll pay a fine. That’s it.”
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