Animal-Rights Activists Deliver Stern Rebuke to (Surprise, Surprise) a Major Hollywood Player

PETA and NYCLASS stage a protest outside of Liam Neeson's Upper West Side apartment building in support of a ban on carriage horse rides through Central Park on April 19, 2014 in New York City. (Image source: Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski

Actor Liam Neeson visits Clinton Park Horse Stables on March 9, 2014 in New York City. (Image source: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (AP) — Animal rights activists protesting outside actor Liam Neeson's home say they don't agree with him that New York's carriage horses should keep working.

Neeson didn't appear Saturday as about 50 demonstrators filled the sidewalk in front of his apartment building in the upper west side of Manhattan.

They held signs with such slogans as: "Liam Neeson: Stop Supporting Cruelty!"

The 61-year-old star is a vocal supporter of the city's carriage horse industry. His publicist hasn't immediately responded to a request for comment.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged to ban the horse-drawn carriages and replace them with electric vintage-style cars, commissioned by a group called NYCLASS.

Its members joined protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals on Saturday.

Image source: Taylor Hill/Getty Images

They say it's inhumane for the horses to be subjected to traffic, pollution and possible accidents.

A general view of atmosphere at Clinton Park Horse Stables on March 9, 2014 in New York City. (Image source: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

A general view of atmosphere at Clinton Park Horse Stables on March 9, 2014 in New York City. (Image source: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)