Greek vegans protest against Easter lamb and goat "slaughter"

The vegan activists gathered in Syntagma Square, holding placards with messages such as “slaughter is not love” and “the time has come to see animals as individuals”, attracting the attention of passers-by who were taking their Sunday stroll.

According to the official announcement of the Federation, the action was not a “performance” but a protest against the normalization of violence.

“It was a silent cry against the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals in the name of a tradition. We wanted to remind you that Easter, like any celebration, does not have to be based on pain and blood. Lambs and goats – baby animals of 4-5 weeks old – are slaughtered en masse, with religious cover and social acceptance,” Nemesis says, among other things, asking the question: “Can love be based on death?”.

Anna, a photographer and member of the vegan activist group, spoke to Orange Press Agency about the goals of the intervention, focusing on animal rights and the need to change social perception.

“We came here to protest. We are vegan activists and we are against the Easter slaughters. Over two million babies, lambs and goats are slaughtered for this custom. We are here so that the world understands that this custom should no longer exist, because there are victims. Animals have the right to life and the autonomy of their bodies, just like we humans do,” she notes.

As she emphasizes, “we choose not to listen to their voices. Slaughterhouses are outside the urban fabric because they have screams. Animals have families and even mothers and babies cry when they are separated. Just as a mother loves her baby, so does a mother goat love hers. Why do we want them to take it away and slaughter it?”

The mobilization ended with the organizers calling on citizens to reconsider their consumption habits during the holidays, proposing an Easter “without blood and pain.”