London’s last remaining slaughterhouse, situated in Hackney Wick, became the stage of Animal Rebellion’s most recent protest about animal welfare and climate change on Wednesday March 23.
Early on Wednesday morning, members of Animal Rebellion subdivision Gardens not Slaughterhouses climbed on top of an empty truck and blocked others from leaving the Kedassia chicken abattoir on Smeed Road, disrupting daily operations.
Gardens not Slaughterhouses is part of Animal Rebellion, a mass movement that focuses on non-violent civil disobedience to protest for sustainable plant-based food systems. They said they waited for the chickens held at the slaughterhouse to be taken inside before blocking the abattoir’s entrance so as to minimise harm.
Miranda Whelan, a spokesperson for Animal Rebellion said: “We need to build a just and sustainable future by replacing slaughterhouses, which kill gentle and intelligent animals and damage the environment, with community gardens.
“Gardens improve the wellbeing of the local people and allow them to grow healthy, sustainable food. We are demanding that Kedassia shut down and let this land be used for something that will benefit the whole community.”
Bel Jacobs, a local resident, said: “I’m a mother and I know that our kids need a space to learn how to grow vegetables, not kill birds. Community gardens would give us a much-needed green space and a social hub where everyone can meet and connect.”
Animal Rebellion told The Hackney Post that “Animal agriculture contributes upwards of 18 per cent of global emissions, 70 per cent of agricultural emissions and up to 80 per cent of global deforestation.”
They said the protest today is part of wider local efforts to make London greener and reduce damage to the environment.
The Hackney Post has attempted to contact Kedassia Poultry Ltd for comment.
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