12/07/23 NO to Abuse, YES to Animal Rights
Animal Friends Croatia to put on a powerful performance on International Animal Rights Day
- December 10, 11 am: Ban Jelačić Square: large letters in red displayed by activists
Animal Friends Croatia is organizing a powerful performance on December 10, International Animal Rights Day, as a message to stop animal abuse, torture and killing in various industries. To make the message more poignant, activists will hold large red letters to make the word “stop,” together with distressing and perturbing photos showing the suffering of animals in experiments, zoos, food, leather, and fur industry, etc.
The goal of the performance is to highlight the immense injustice done to animals and to stress that the value of their life, as well as their rights, do not exclusively depend on their usability or human perception. The activists involved are also animal rights advocates who believe it is wrong to treat animals as consumer goods or as “tools,” depriving them of their rights, in the same way that it is wrong to mistreat humans. The animal rights protection movement has the same objectives as the human rights movement, which is the reason International Animal Rights Day is purposely celebrated together with International Human Rights Day.
Animals today are exploited to a degree where the rights of conscious individuals and their clear desire to live their own lives are completely lost for the purpose of human mass production. However, Animal Friends Croatia reminds us that, until not so long ago, slave owners had complete control over the lives of their slaves, women were completely subordinated to men, etc., which is why making a change in the status of animals is imperative.
“We are speaking out against all forms of discrimination, including speciesism, which is discrimination based on species. All animals deserve our consideration and compassion, and the abuse of their rights is our joint concern. The planned performance will be an invitation to all reject products for which animals have been used or killed, whether for food, clothes, entertainment, or in experiments. What we see as a meal, a boot, a coat, or a cosmetic foundation, is an animal’s life,” stated Vlatka Balaš Cerjak from Animal Friends Croatia.
Balaš Cerjak believes most people have compassion for animals and pity their suffering, however, they suppress it in everyday life over comfort or due to a lack of information. She believes that, if everyone knew what happens with animals behind farms, slaughterhouses, or laboratory walls, they would take positive steps and help the animals. A useful tool might be the Veggie Challenge, a 30-day free service offering useful information and recipes available at www.veganopolis.net.
Having celebrated this day for over twenty years, Animal Friends Croatia invites all to mark it by educating themselves on animal rights and activism. Anyone wishing to join in the performance can do so by applying via our online participation form.
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