Protest planned against kangaroo cull

CANBERRA, Australia, March 14 (UPI) -- Hundreds of Australian protesters, primarily from New South Whales, are expected to protest the planned killings of hundreds of kangaroos, organizers said.

The protesters, led by animal rights activists and Aboriginal elders, plan to demonstrate Saturday in Canberra, the Australian capital, the Sydney Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

They object to the Australian Defense Department's plan to cull more than 400 kangaroos that currently live on a site that formerly housed a naval base.

The protesters argue the animals should be relocated, but the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said relocation would not be a suitable option for the marsupials.

"We have to do whatever we have to in order to save these kangaroos -- there's a lot of feeling in the community, especially from NSW," said Animal Liberation spokesman Bernard Brennan. "We've been known to stand our ground and it's always dangerous when things go violently."