Hundreds of animal rights activists covered themselves in fake blood and took over a public square in Paris to protest against “animal suffering and meat consumption”. [1] Dubbed an “open air slaughterhouse”, those involved covered themselves in fake blood. The animal rights activists action is part of the 269 Life campaign group’s events for the World Day for the Abolition of Meat (WWAMs), which is held every year at the end of January, May and September every year since 2009. [8] The 269 Life members who staged the demonstration tried to create a bloody visual impact by laying sprawled out in the square covered in red paint, but the most graphic image is that of a man suspended by his legs as two others dressed as butchers stood next to him with a rather lethal looking knife. [8] There was also a man covered in fake blood who was dragged by his feet as part of the World Day for the Abolition of Meat. [4] The activists wanted to grab everyone’s attention by freaking them out about the subject. Clearly, it worked because the event got a lot of people talking about it. [7] The group who staged the demonstration refer to the slaughter of animals as a “holocaust” and claim “veganism is is an essential step that any responsible and sensible person must take”. [1]
A statement on their website reads:
We aim to bring the pain and horror other animals face each and every day out of the suppressed darkness and into the realm of everyday life. Most people are well aware of what is being done to other animals, and yet remain apathetic in the face of the atrocities committed in their name, even after witnessing the utmost graphic evidence. [2]
The World Weeks for the Abolition of Meat (WWAMs) is held every year at the end of January, May and September. The events are are used to promote the idea of “abolishing the production and consumption of the flesh of sentient beings”. The group has called for the production and consumption of meat to be made illegal on “ethical grounds”. [1] In Britain, the Labour party’s new shadow environment secretary Kerry McCarthy has said meat eaters should be stigmatised in the same way as smokers. Ms McCarthy, who has admitted she is a ‘militant’ vegan, has worried countryside campaigners who warned that her veganism and strong opposition to hunting and the badger cull would harm Britain’s farming industry. [2] [4] [10] A lot of people care about animals because they provide companionship for their human buddies. Some people think that animals feel stuff like us humans do. They don’t want to see something intelligent suffer and feel pain. On the other hand, some people think that it’s a part of nature to eat animals. Non-animal rights people might think that it’s just part of the cycle of life to kill animals and to eat them up. [7]
The Daily Mail‘s story on the protest received over 500 comments, including the following:
“If they had their way are all the animals now on farms to be released into the wild? Most animals in the wild end up as food anyway for either predators or scavengers,” posted a reader named Dave. [2]
Another commenter shared: “I have nothing against the eating of meat per se. But I do think that there needs to be much tighter controls to ensure that the animals are humanely raised and humanely slaughtered.” [2]
