Biggest PETA protest of the year: around 30 activists from the animal rights organization denounce a huge mountain of tortured and skinned bodies Saturday, October 5th, from 12:30 p.m in Cologne’s Schildergasse the production and consumption of leather items. Under the motto “Leather kills” and with the help of morphsuits, the organization draws attention to the suffering of billions of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses as well as kangaroos and reptiles. The sensitive creatures endure a dreary and violent life in captivity for clothing and many other products made from leather. In the slaughterhouse or in the company and in the presence of their fellow inmates, they are killed with fear and pain and then skinned. The leather industry doesn’t even shy away from children. PETA Germany is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
“Every pair of leather shoes, every handbag and every belt made of animal skin tells the sad story of a sentient being who didn’t want to die, but had to sacrifice his life for supposed fashion,” says Peter Höffken, specialist at PETA. “The leather industry is not only a particularly dirty industry, but also extremely contemptuous of life. We encourage consumers and companies to choose ethical and animal-friendly materials. Because anyone who supports the sale of animal skin is not only digging a grave for billions of animals, but also for themselves and their fellow human beings.”
The various mistreatment of animals during leather production
In large leather-producing countries like India, workers often drive cattle, buffaloes and other animals on mile-long marches to slaughterhouses. When they collapse from exhaustion, chili peppers are rubbed into their eyes. Video revelations by PETA show how workers in the Brazilian leather industry burn calves’ faces with hot branding irons and torture cattle with electric shocks. In countries like Germany, numerous cattle still stand in their own feces and urine in dark stables – sometimes in extremely restrictive ones Tethering posture. Also take Live exports of cattle increased massively. More and more animals are being transported to distant slaughterhouses. During the ship transport, which sometimes lasts weeks, many of them suffer from hunger and thirst until their throats are often cut without anesthesia.
Animal leather is fueling the climate crisis and species extinction
About 36 percent of global forest loss is attributed to cattle breeding and farming, including two-thirds of the cleared areas in the Amazon region [1] [2]. Forests are essential in the fight against climate catastrophe because they store huge amounts of carbon and water. The Amazon rainforest in particular is an important refuge for biodiversity, with around 10 percent of all known animal and plant species [3]. Cowhide production is up to 19 times more harmful to the environment than vegetable leather and uses up to 170 different chemicals, including cyanide [4].
Large selection of pet-friendly alternatives
In addition to artificial leather, there are numerous alternatives such as apple or pineapple leather, which can be produced more sustainably than the chemically tanned skin of a painfully killed animal. The global PETA-Approved Vegan certification identifies handbags, shoes, clothing, accessories and furniture made from vegan materials. Over 1,000 companies worldwide already use the vegan logo, signaling their decision against leather, silk, wool, fur and feathers.
Details about the campaign:
Datum: Saturday, October 5, 2024
Time: 12:30 – 1:30 p.m
Ort: Cologne, Schildergasse / corner of Ina-Gschlössl-Weg (square at the Antoniterkirche) in Cologne
Contact person on site: Alina Langenhorst and Peter Höffken (we will be happy to provide telephone contact upon request)
PETA Germany will celebrate it in 2024 30th anniversary. On this occasion, the organization demands that animals be recognized before the law as persons, i.e. as bearers of interests worthy of protection Fundamental rights receive. PETA’s motto is: Animals are not there to be experimented on, eaten, dressed, entertained, or exploited in any other way. The organization opposes Speciesism a – a form of discrimination in which animals are devalued because of their species.
