At a time when the bulk of student demonstrations are university-centric, recent efforts by the Syracuse Animal Rights Organization (SARO) prove that it takes visibly engaging within the community to promote social progress that may be disregarded as too idealistic.

A group of about 20 community members protested in front of J. Michael Shoes on Marshall Street on Saturday afternoon in a gathering organized and led by SARO in response to the store’s selling of Canada Goose jackets, which the protesters claimed endorse animal cruelty.

While the demonstration may have been considered disruptive, or “awkward” as one passerby wearing a Canada Goose jacket noted, it should be maintained that college students have the right to protest, voice concerns and raise distinctive points of view. And while the group may or may not be successful in effectively holding J. Michael Shoes or Canada Goose accountable by halting the local sale of fur products, SARO’s efforts are commendable in sparking a conversation on the ethics of these sales within the local market.

Though a J. Michael Shoes employee said protesters were unfair to focus on a small business rather than Canada Goose as a greater brand, businesses who sell fur products like the Marshall Street vendor are subject to backlash and share the responsibility of supporting the fur industry. But the implications of the small-business argument play a greater role in the discussion.

It is understood that local outlets like J. Michael Shoes may make a substantial portion of their revenue from the sale of fur products, including Canada Goose jackets, in a notoriously cold place like Syracuse. But the fact of the matter is that the emphasis on profits outweighs that of social progress far too often.

Wielding capitalist interests as a reason behind the continued sale of fur products only promotes stagnancy on an ethical basis. And while the sale of fur products at local outlets may not be halted by one protest, for students to voice their beliefs in a public display sheds light on the prospect of a more principled future.

The call for social progress may not be soon and it may not start with J. Michael Shoes, but the message does have to start somewhere. And the fact that the end objective may seem idealistic now should not minimize SARO’s efforts when the demonstration acts as a smaller catalyst in the larger prospect toward a more progressive community that values ethical sales practices and community voices.