Friends act on animal rights

Quaker Concern for Animals demonstrates about live animal transportation

Quaker Concern for Animals demonstrate in Parliament Square | Photo: Tom Bonneville

Quaker Concern for Animals (QCA) took part in a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, last week to put a stop to the transportation of animals.

The ‘Stop Live Transport’ protest on 14 June was part of the annual International Awareness Day, organised by the group Compassion in World Farming (CiWF).

Judith Wilkings, from QCA, told the Friend: ‘Every year millions of animals are transported around the world on long journeys, as far as Turkey and the Middle East, in cramped containers with very little animal welfare. This year, in particular, there is an opportunity to stop this cruel trade if Brexit goes ahead.’

Judith Wilkings said that QCA protested ‘as Quaker witness to the divinity in all creatures and the equality of all creatures’.

She added: ‘Recent legislation in the UK requires a CCTV in every slaughterhouse so we can see how animals are being killed. However, once they leave the UK we don’t know where they are going. They could go to countries where there are no animal welfare rules whatsoever.’

Speakers at the event included: Emma Slawinski, Compassion’s director of campaigns; Zac Goldsmith, MP for Richmond Park; professor Jo Cambridge, Vets Against Live Exports; Nick Palmer, Compassion’s head of policy; and Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, who has had a private member’s bill to end animal transportation.

Judith Wilkings said: ‘It was heartening to hear there’s so much support in parliament.’

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