LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- About 120 animal rights activists on Friday marched along an upscale commercial street near Hollywood, urging holiday shoppers not to buy clothing made with fur.

    No protesters were arrested during the peaceful demonstration, but police made several unrelated arrests of people in the area on unrelated matters, mostly for marijuana possession, said Mike Foxen of the Beverly Hills Police Department.

    According to a spokesman of animal rights group In Defense of Animals, the event, held in the Beverly Hills area where some of the large department stores sell fur products, had the biggest turnout in 10 years.

    The protest has become an annual event in the upscale Beverly Hills area on the day after Thanksgiving since the first demonstration 19 years ago.

    Activists have dubbed the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year, as "Fur Free Friday," and similar protests were staged across the rest of the United States.

    In Beverly Hills, protesters went to about 30 stores along the street that sell fur, such as Gucci's, ending up with a rally at the plaza in front of large department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

    "It lasted about two hours. We cooperated with the police, who are very nice. It's a peaceful event," said Bill Dyer of the animal rights group.

    The activists concentrate on the Beverly Hills stores because "(fur) is a high end commodity," he said.

    "Holidays are a time for celebration and reverence for life, so we are calling on shoppers to respect all life by not buying fur," he said.

    Fashion designers such as Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Todd Oldham have stopped using fur, while some retail chains such as Victoria's Secret, J. Crew and Forever 21 have pledged not to sell real fur, according to In Defense of Animals.