PETA sparks outrage by barbecuing ‘dog’ in mall
Australians are known for loving a barbecue on a hot summer’s day, but there was a major exception at a mall in Syndey on Wednesday.
As shoppers, including young children, made their way through the bustling retail epicenter, they caught a glimpse of something horrific.
Animal rights group PETA held a confronting demonstration — in which its activists barbecued a “dog” as part of a nausea-inducing campaign to encourage people to go vegan.
Don’t worry. The simmering animal was a fake made by a British prop designer, but the organization was adamant it would still send a strong message.
PETA set up the gruesome stand slap-bang in the middle of the street and photos from the scene show the fake dog cooking over a banner that reads “If You Wouldn’t Eat a Dog, Why Eat a Lamb? Go Vegan!”
Pictures also captured the horrified faces of shoppers — including young children — as they passed by.
Some took to social media to vent at PETA for exposing children to such horrific scenes.
“Keep them out of public places. It should be classed as public nuisance! Kids around? That is further reason to stop this! Exposing them to this??? Cruel,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Another wrote: “I saw some visibly upset kids.”
However, PETA’s Emily Rice told News.com.au the demonstration was “thought-provoking.”
“It’s not gruesome but it’s no different to when you’d walk past a Peking duck hanging in a shop window or a pig on a spit at a wedding,” she said.
On occasion, PETA has been forced to defend itself for its demonstrations, however, Rice said the organization was used to mixed reactions.
“It’s always mixed, it can be confronting to challenge what people think of as normal and it will be an emotionally charged day but if we manage to plant some seeds and start a conversation about speciesism then that’s a good thing,” she said.
“We want people to think about why they’re happy to love one animal but eat another.”
During the protest today, the organization simply tweeted: “If you care about animals, try not eating them.”