Every year since 1983, World Day for Farmed Animals has provided animal rights supporters the opportunity to memorialize and mourn the 150 billion animals abused and slaughtered for food annually. October 2 is the official day of the observance.
This year, in a protest organized by In Defense of Animals, four San Francisco residents branded themselves with hot irons to raise awareness of the painful mutilations that factory farm animals are routinely subjected to and their inevitable subsequent slaughter.
Demonstrators acting as ‘farm workers’ dragged four animal rights activists across UN Plaza. Then, a searing hot iron heated to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit was plunged into the activists’ arms and shoulders as they grimaced in pain.
In a statement, In Defense of Animals President Marilyn Kroplick, M.D. highlighted the importance of the peaceful protest: “We brought the hidden suffering of billions of animals to the streets of San Francisco on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday with his message, ‘be the change you want to see in the world’. You can make a difference by choosing vegan options and enjoy benefits to your health, animals, and the environment.”
The first human-branding protest for animal rights occurred in Israel on World Day for Farmed Animals in 2012. It sparked an international movement called 269Life and the practice quickly caught on in other parts of the world, including Italy, Argentina, Australia, and the United States. The movement was named in honor of Calf 269, who narrowly avoided death when he was rescued from an Israeli dairy farm.
To date, thousands of animal activists around the globe have demonstrated their solidarity with the food industry’s animal victims by having the number 269 tattooed or branded into their flesh. The human-branding protest in San Francisco yesterday was the first of its kind to take place in the state of California.
Ellen – these folks are NOT barbarians but caring and compassionate people who challenge animal cruelty. They have my full support. Shame on you.
These people holding the branding irons are BARBARIANS!!
THE ONLY WAY TO END ALL MISERY IN THIS WORLD IS TO BAN ALL NEEDLESS SUFFERING FOR ANIMALS AND HUMANS BY LOWERING HUMAN POPULATION THRU GOVERNMENT ORDERS THAT ONLY TWO
CHILDREN PER FAMILY IS ACCEPTABLE OTHERWISE A PENALTY WILL FOLLOW; THE OTHER IS FORMING A
MASSIVE COALITION IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE, THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING, ETC., TO GIVE ANIMALS
THEIR RIGHTFUL RIGHTS AS LIVING BEINGS JUST LIKE HUMANS. IT CAN BE DONE SUCCESSFULLY LIKE;
ALL ANIMALS TO FORAGE OUTDOORS, THE FACTORY FARM BUILDINGS CLEANED OUT THOROUGHLY AND
FIRE ALARMS PUT IN WHEREBY A LARGE DOOR WILL OPEN WHEN ALARM IS SOUNDED SO ANIMALS CAN
ESCAPE THE FIRE. WHEN WEATHER IS NOT GOOD THE ANIMALS WILL BE ROUND UP INSIDE FOR SAFETY. IF PEOPLE NEED TO EAT ANIMAL FLESH THEY CAN HAVE AN ANIMAL HUMANELY EUTHANIZED AND A BUTCHER WILL PREPARE WHAT THE PERSON WANTS. IT WILL BE MORE COSTLY BUT THE REWARDS ARE
GREAT. NO MORE POLLUTION FROM THE FARMS, NO MORE ANIMAL SUFFERING, NOT MORE POISONED
MEAT OR MILK…BUSES OR CARS WILL REACH THESE NATURAL FARMS. THIS WILL COST GOVERNMENT FAR LESS MONEY. IN TIME THE MEAT INDUSTRY WILL BE MUCH LESS WHEN THERE IS NO FORCED BREEDING OR ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION. ALL OF US WILL WIN.
These activists are real heroes. Bless them all. They have my support.
Thank you animal activists for supporting farm animals. I ,too, believe in Go Vegan to stop all cruelty and killing of farm animals. Do not hurt yourselves – educate people without hurting yourselves.
That was 4 dumb specimens of homo sapiens. What the hell did that accomplish? Not one thing except to scar them for life. Of course, I see where they are from, and would not expect anymore intelligence from them. haha
So proud of these brave activists.
We Must End Hell on Earth for Animals Now!!!!
LOVE THIS YOUNG MAN THAT HELPED THE SQUIRREL. GOD ALL MIGHTY I PRAY HUMANS WOULD UNDERSTAND TO LOWER THEIR HUMAN POPULATION SO THAT ANIMALS CAN BE FREE, AND WHEN THEY
GET OLD AND SUFFERING THEY COULD BE EUTHANIZED HUMANELY FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED TO EAT
ANIMAL FLESH.. IF THE HABITS OF HUMANS ARE DONE PROPERLY AND WITH RESPECT THEN ALL THE GOOD
FILL FOLLOW ACCORDINGLY. ANIMAL RIGHT ACTIVISTS AND PEOPLE WHO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED, AND DOCTORS WHO HELP SICK ANIMALS AND HUMANS ARE THE ONLY TRUE HEROES.
Well said Doreen – I totally agree with your remarks.
These people are brave and so dedicated in order to make a point and change minds. Enduring branding to bring awareness to the pain and suffering that millions of cows experience is certainly heroic. The problem is, the media didn’t seem to cover this event. At least not in my area of Southern California. The media likes sensational stories, but I guess branding people wasn’t sexy and news worthy. Hats off to the activists that did this and may other people be inspired to follow suit in hopes of changing the cruel inhumane practices of the meat and dairy industry.
I didn’t see any of the dummies with grimaces of pain on their faces. This was a dumb stunt that accomplished nothing except to scar themselves and open themselves to infection. Here’s you sign!
Good idea. Now they know how the animals feel when this is done to them.
Oh, good grief!!!
Brillant way to educate people regarding the branding horrors.
Choose Vegan! Choose Compassion!
Thank you so much dear activists ! This is a genial idea to demonstrate humans !
We respect you greatly here in Finland.
I, and everyone here, respects YOU and all other animal lovers, too.
Not everyone honors stupidity.
Justice, compassion, laws, live, LOVE..
I hope that sends a message, but unfortunately, people who think nothing of dishing out suffering are usually very unimpressed by such things. They have no empathy, period.
Perhaps if there were higher stakes for THEM – In order to brand animals with hot irons, the perpetrators first have to submit themselves and their family members to branding with hot irons.
Sounds fair to me.
May the fearless commitment of these beautiful activists soon impact animals so they are not branded.