Animal rights activists braved frigid weather and gathered at Central Park South Thursday, Jan. 1st to protest the treatment of carriage horses. The protest against horse-drawn carriage rides occurred as the City Council gets ready to consider a ban on the controversial tourist attraction.”You can’t have horse-drawn carriages in New York City without the public safety issues and the inherent animal cruelty issues,” said Edita Birnkrant, a spokeswoman for Friends of Animals.

Horse Drawn Carriage in the Snow

She pointed out that horses went to work in a snowstorm last month, and one slipped on an icy street.

Animal welfare advocates rallied in the frigid weather, shouting, “Shame on you!” at the crowd of tourists lined up for rides. The City Council is set to debate a bill later this month that would shut down the industry.