Thousands of pigs are trucked into the facility each day, where they are slaughtered and turned into ham, bacon, sausage and hot dogs sold under the Farmer John label.
CITY NEWS SERVICE: As many as 100 animal rights activists are planning to hold a 48-hour vigil outside the Farmer John slaughterhouse in Vernon beginning Sunday, to call attention to what they say is the plant’s inhumane treatment of animals, as well as the larger issue of factory farming and its alleged harmful effects on the environment and on public health…
During the vigil, which is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday and end at 11 a.m. Tuesday, the group plans to provide pigs arriving at the facility with water, and will also provide the public and workers with information on Rose’s Law — a proposed animal bill of rights — and how to submit reports of abuse to a whistleblower support program. Trainings, speakers, screenings, and other activities are also planned…
A spokesman for Direct Action Everywhere — whose Los Angeles chapter is hosting the event — told City News Service Saturday that he expects “dozens of arrests” at Sunday’s vigil. Seven DXE Los Angeles volunteers were cited and released Friday for trespassing while trying to rescue a pig from inside the plant…
“We aren’t certain what to expect in terms of legal consequences. People are certainly very motivated to take direct action as a last resort, when our elected officials are not only ignoring but actively enabling the Smithfield’s devastating impacts on animals, the environment, and public health,” said Matt Johnson, spokesman for Direct Action Everywhere…
On Friday, police received a call from officials at Smithfield Foods — owner of Farmer John — to report that some trespassers were on the premises at 3049 E. Vernon Ave., according to Vernon Police Sgt. Daniel Onopa. “Two subjects were determined to be inside the livestock yard and five subjects fled on foot,” Onopa said. “They (the five subjects) were then detained by officers nearby. Due to the pandemic, they were cited at the scene and released.”
DXE Los Angeles posted a video on its Facebook page showing activists wearing hardhats inside the facility. The group places a pig on a gurney and attempts to leave, but police are shown outside and a voice is heard saying, “they’re locking the doors, guys”…
The animal rights group said the seven entrants managed to retrieve a hidden camera previously planted in the facility with 81 hours of footage of the slaughter line, “the first time public footage has been obtained from inside the slaughterhouse.” Thousands of pigs are trucked into the facility each day, where they are killed and turned into Dodger Dogs, as well as ham, bacon, sausage and hot dogs sold under the Farmer John label.
Johnson said the group was unable to rescue the pig, who they assume was killed. The group identified the seven activists as Emek Echo, Lewis Bernier, Alicia Santurio, Rachel Hosler, Zoe Rosenberg, Robert Franklin and Alexandra Paul. Paul is an actress best known for a starring role in the 1983 horror film, “Christine,” and a role on the TV series “Baywatch” from 1992-97. SOURCE…
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