Antispeciesis protest "None of us would like to end up like this.."

international | animal rights | press release Wednesday August 18, 2004 22:26 by Sharon Núñez - ALA - Alternativa para la Liberación Animal sharonn at liberacionanimal dot org +34 915 328 495

Four activists belonging to the organization ALA-Alternativa para la Liberación Animal (Alternative for Animal Liberation) remained naked and plastified inside meat trays (similar to the ones we can find in supermarkets), in order to denounce the exploitation that other-than-human animals are subjected too.

"None of us would like to end up like this.. neither would other than human animals."

The event took place in the Puerta del Sol, in the centre of Madrid, on Saturday the 31 of July. It began at 12.00 o'clock in the morning and lasted about an hour. We were obliged to finish, when members of the police put an end to the representation.

Beside the plastified bodies, banners were exposed and there was also a stall where information on animal rights was given out.

The event titled “None of us want like to end up like this, neither do non-human animals”, is part of the campaigns that ALA-Alternativa para la Liberación Animal carries out with the objective of questioning and eradicating non-human animal discrimination.

Speciesism, or discrimination due to the specie of belonging, is a prejudice similar to sexism or racism, and consequently, individuals who don´t belong to a certain group see their interests ignored, or not considered in an equal way.

The only relevant characteristic in order to respect someone’s interest in life and freedom, is their capacity to feel (welfare, suffering, etc), any other characteristic, such as an individuals sex, color of skin, type or degree of intelligence or specie is irrelevant from a moral point of view.

An individual’s life must be respected, if he or her has the capability of enjoying it, and this capability is something that all of us sentient beings (human and non-human) share. Our lives matter to us independently of its value to others, all beings with the capacity to feel, experience their life as valuable and unique.

Thousands of animals die every second due to our way of consuming. That is why in order to respect other-than-human animals we must adopt a vegetarian diet. A plant based diet is healthy and varied, and even more important, it puts an end to thousands of unfair deaths, and to a tremendous amount of suffering. A vegetarian diet and an ethical lifestyle (neither should we use animals in laboratories, as entertainment or clothing) are the only real alternatives to animal exploitation. Respect means all interests are given the same relevance, ignoring sex, race and specie.

Animals should not be considered our properties or tools, our opposition to their exploitation in our every day life is essential for them. Society will only change, when each one of its members questions their prejudices, and puts an end to them in their every day life.

More information:
http://www.liberacionanimal.org