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Four FTP protesters arrested

Four Grinnell student environmental activists were arrested Saturday evening at Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines, following a protest targeting the clothing retailer Victoria's Secret. The students, Heidi Conner '09, Holly Edlin '08, Sam Gault '09 and Britta Nordberg '09, will be arraigned Monday.

The four declined to comment on their arrests until after the trial has concluded.

The protest was organized by the Grinnell chapter of Free the Planet (FTP), of which the four students are members. The protest was part of a National Day of Action against Victoria's Secret, coordinated by the national environmental group Forest Ethics.

Victoria's Secret is a major producer of paper catalogs, and environmentalists claim that most of the paper the company uses is made from pristine forests in Canada and the southern United States.

Limited Brands, the parent company of Victoria's Secret, counters that the company is introducing more recycled paper.

"We have initiated a major effort to use more post-consumer recycled content paper, reduce direct mail and conduct more efficient targeted mailings of other materials sent to customers," said Anthony Hebron, vice-president for external communications.

The protest follows a training session conducted on campus two weeks ago by former Grinnell student Shayna Ortman, now an organizer for Forest Ethics. Ortman was one of three FTP members arrested in April 2003 for civil disobedience against Office Max.

-Linn Davis

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