Veganism group displays pet carcasses

In London, an animal protection organization took an unusual measure during a protest: they drove dead animals through the city center.

London – In a shocking protest on Monday (February 12), the British animal rights organization “Viva! The Vegan Charity displays dead animals at various London landmarks.

At the city's most famous sights, such as the London Eye and Trafalgar Square, activists hung a dead dog, a dead cat and a dead pig from butcher hooks in the back of a van. A sign with the question “Are You an Animal Lover?” should make passers-by think. Furthermore, the dog and cat were identified as “pets” on two separate signs, while a sign labeled “livestock” was placed above the pig.

Shocking protest: Pet carcasses are supposed to make people think

The animal rights group explained that this action was intended to challenge society's perception of animals. Founder Juliet Gellatley told the British newspaper Daily Expressthat cats and dogs are often viewed as members of the family, while other animals such as pigs, chickens and cows are simply viewed as commodities.

Gellatley also stressed that such high-profile tactics were necessary due to the increasing prevalence of factory farming in the UK and worldwide. The clear aim of the campaign was to “provoke a strong reaction from passers-by.” The campaign in London marks the beginning of a new wave of campaigns by the organization to attract more people to veganism.

Protest action polarizes passers-by and on social networks: “Cheap and pathetic action”

Reaction to the protest was mixed: footage of the action shows some people were visibly disgusted by the sight of the animals, while others supported the action and saw it as necessary. One pedestrian felt so touched by the action that she, close to tears, declared that she wanted to change in the future. “I don’t have a good answer to why I eat pork but not dog meat,” another passerby explained.

In some cases, users reacted more critically on social media. On the Platform X (Twitter) One user described the protest as a “cheap and pathetic action.”

In Italy, forest officials recently shot the M90 ​​bear. Animal protection organizations then announced revenge and described the killing as an execution. (jus)