Mercy For Animals hit the road again to spread the message of compassion with twelve traffic-stopping demonstrations throughout the Midwest.
The tour started with a head-turning protest outside the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, IA, where we were joined by local activists and our gigantic, 10-foot-tall inflatable pig – covered in sores and filth – crammed inside a gestation crate. The demonstration shed light on the inherently cruel practice of forcing pregnant pigs to live nearly their entire lives crammed inside tiny, filthy crates, where they are virtually immobilized. Several television, print, and radio outlets covered the event, alerting countless consumers to the cruel suffering mother sows endure in the pork industry.
We continued our Midwest tour with our thought-provoking “Why Love One but Eat the Other?” demonstrations. Featuring a massive inflatable puppy stuffed inside a hamburger bun, the events sparked debate over why we love animals we consider pets, but eat farmed animals we consider dinner.
MFA’s “Why Love One but Eat the Other?” tour included stops in the Iowa and Illinois cities of Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Peoria, and Springfield, and then continued on to Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska, where we held demonstrations in St. Louis, Springfield, Joplin, Kansas City, Topeka, Lincoln, and Omaha.
“The reactions have been incredible everywhere,” said National Campaign Coordinator Phil Letten in an interview with the Topeka Capital-Journal. “Most people are opposed to animal cruelty. And when they learn about the egregious abuses farmed animals endure during their lives, many are moved toward a vegetarian diet.”
Join MFA for our next stops in New York City and the Northeast this week.
