PRESS RELEASE:
On Saturday July 20th, 2013, KOALA (Kitchener Ontario Animal Liberation Alliance) held “Ribfest Resistance” from 4:30p to 6:30pm just outside of the Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beer Show at Victoria Park in Downtown Kitchener, ON.
KOALA hosted a booth where they distributed animal rights and vegan literature, as well as handing out free vegan baked goods, vegan mock ribs, and 70 vegan BLTs to Ribfest attendees. KOALA members also held signs reading: “A lifetime of misery for a minute of taste”; and “Would you eat dog ribs?” Many Ribfest attendees were surprised to see opposition to the event and many engaged in lengthy conversations about the ethics of meat-based diets.
KOALA offered the following statement when questioned about the purpose of the demonstration:
“Ribfests are a celebration of animal flesh and they promote the torture, suffering and death of countless animals lives. We are here to raise awareness about the consequences of meat consumption and let people know that their food choices have consequences beyond breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meat based diets are unsustainable and they have negative effects on animals, our environment, and our health.
“Industrial animal agriculture and factory farming have largely replaced small scale farming operations globally and to stay profitable, these agri-businesses must cut costs to stay competitive, which means that animals’ wellbeing will always come second to profit and greed. This is evident in the way farm animals are routinely treated. They are fed unnatural diets like corn (or even cannibalism) and injected with growth hormones and antibiotics. They are confined in small spaces, denied natural behaviors, and are usually exposed to noxious ammonium fumes 24hrs a day from standing in their own excrement. They are mutilated, beaten, electrocuted, and gassed. This isn’t humane. People wouldn’t do this to their pets. What’s different about a cow, chicken, or pig?
“Factory farms are also a huge contributor to global warming. Animals produce more greenhouse gas from methane than all transportation combined. Manure runoff also contaminates air and drinking water in surrounding communities. Also, the majority of crops grown are fed to livestock, which contributes to global starvation.
“Humans also suffer from consuming too many animal products. Meat consumption has been linked to various diseases like hypertension, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. This is a huge drain on our healthcare system. It’s comparable to smoking. And every other week you hear about an E Coli or salmonella outbreak but by the time there is a recall, most of the meat has been eaten. Antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria are also a result of blanket use of antibiotics on all farm animals regardless of having an infection or not.
“Most people aren’t aware of these facts because Factory Farms are hidden out of sight and the meat monopoly spends millions of dollars advertising hamburgers and hotdogs. Big Agri-Business spends a lot of effort trying to keep this info secret. We’re just offering people the information, they can make their own conclusions.”
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