Vegan protests: You are going about this all wrong

I’m a vegetarian and the slaughter of animals makes me sick but it was a dumb move by vegan protesters to storm farms. All they have done is hurt the animal rights movement and made the rest of us animal lovers look bad, writes Tanya French.

Militant vegans, you’re making the rest of us animal lovers look bad.

I’m a vegetarian. The thought of terrified, defenceless animals being dragged onto the kill room floor of an abattoir and slaughtered makes me sick. And I agree with the core reason vegan activists are staging protests across the country.

But they’re going about it the wrong way.

Instead of raising awareness and gaining support, they’ve somehow managed to turn the country against the animal rights cause.

POLICE FORCED TO BREAK UP PROTEST AT WARWICK ABATTOIR

Police remove a vegan protestor who had been blocking the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Street, Melbourne in support of animal rights. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

It’s sparked a meatlovers uprising with social media suddenly filled with proud meat-eaters declaring their love of bacon and steak, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison labelled protesters ‘green-collar criminals’ who should be sued by farmers.

A passerby mocks the vegan protestors by eating a meat pie in front of them. Picture: Alan Barber

Their militant protests targeting farmers has earned them the reputation of being extremist and irrational. The actions over the past couple of weeks has undone years of hard work to grow the animal rights and plant-based movement.

Now, when I declare I’m a vegetarian, I feel like I need to add the disclaimer that I’m not a ‘militant’ vegan.

Farmers are seen as national heroes right now.

They’ve battled drought, flood and won a war with supermarket giants over unfair milk pricing.

They have the sympathy of the entire country.

It was a dumb move by vegan protesters to storm farms and confront farmers.

ANGRY FARMER CONFRONTS ACTIVISTS

Animal Activists invade the Millmerran property and cattle farm of David McNamee Pictures via Animal Activists Collective facebook page.

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These country folk are the backbone of the nation and most are among the nicest people you’ll come across.

I’ve been to cattle farms before fully expecting to be so repulsed by the livelihoods of these people that I’d struggle not to speak my mind. But I came away with a completely different perspective. They were lovely people who care deeply for their animals.

Sure there’s some bad eggs, there are bad eggs everywhere, but lumping all farmers into one ‘cruel’ basket is not right.

Waging war against farmers isn’t going to help the cause. Pictures via Animal Activists Collective facebook page.

The target of protesters should not be farmers who are simply responding to the meat demands of a nation.

Their strategy should be to work with farmers and advocate – calmly – for better animal welfare standards while promoting more meat alternatives and educating consumers about what an animal went through to make it to their dinner plate.

These vegan activists chained to equipment at the Carey Bros abattoir are braver than me - I couldn’t face going to an abattoir. But the confrontational nature of the protest has not worked in the favour of animal rights.

Convince Australian consumers to vote with their feet. The industry will react to demand.

There are many millions of us who have given up meat for ethical reasons. But even I find it hard to defend the actions of vegan militants.

Vegan protesters should take a leaf out of a great organization called Rescue Freedom Project which somehow manages to convince animal testing companies to release dogs – often beagles – from laboratories after years of painful experiments.

A protester is removed from a Melbourne intersection yesterday. Pictures: Tony Gough

It’s a vile industry that is shrouded in secrecy and protected by powerful multinational organisations.

But their approach, to work with the companies instead of against them, means hundreds of dogs have been rescued and millions of people are educated to make cruelty-free choices for their household products and cosmetics.

Vegan activists must rethink their strategy if they want to influence any animal welfare changes.

Nine people were arrested as part of a militant vegan protest at Goulburn abattoir. Picture: Facebook