Direct Action Everywhere Auckland are holding a peaceful demonstration at the ASB Showgrounds, from 1pm on Friday 2 April outside the petting area at the Epsom Easter show.

“The petting area is popular with children wanting to touch baby animals,” says DxE spokesperson and former slaughterhouse worker Xander Butler. “It is great to see the way children have such empathy with other sentient Earthlings. Unfortunately they lose this empathy due to cultural conditioning that sees animals simply as commodities to be eaten. Our aim is to show the children and the wider public just what happens to these cute animals in normal agricultural practices.

“Cows, sheep and pigs are treated horrendously,” agrees animal scientist Dr Michael Morris. “Even in the best run slaughterhouses, stunning is botched ten percent of the time, meaning the animals are conscious and feel all the agonies of the knife.

“And even before they get to the slaughter, these animals are legally mutilated without pain relief, packed in crowded transports, and kept in crowded, unhygienic conditions that are a perfect breeding ground for future pandemics.

“Easter is a time to celebrate life,” says protest organiser Deno Stock “We are calling on people to respect the lives of animals and choose one of the many delicious plant based options available instead of the Easter lamb.”

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