• Campaigners held an early-morning vigil outside Diamond Valley Pork while pigs were being killed in the gas chamber inside
• They followed this with an evening memorial in Melbourne CBD where they lay to rest the bodies of three piglets who they say represent the millions of pigs killed in Australian slaughterhouses every year 
• The protests were part of a national weekend of action calling for a federal inquiry into pig slaughter methods and a ban on the use of gas chambers in Australian slaughterhouses 

Animal rights campaigners from Farm Transparency Project have organised a candlelight slaughterhouse vigil and city memorial to remember the millions of pigs killed each year inside carbon dioxide gas chambers, and to push for a ban on the practice.

Early this morning, around 40 advocates gathered outside Diamond Valley Pork slaughterhouse, West of Melbourne. The group held candles and built a memorial to the pigs being killed inside, which included images taken from hidden camera footage that the group captured inside the gas chamber at the facility, which is one of the biggest in Australia. Speeches and songs by activists drew attention to the thousands of pigs who were being killed inside the chamber while the group rallied outside.

The protests continued into the evening where the group gathered on Birrarung Marr in Melbourne’s CBD to stage a memorial for pigs killed in Australian slaughterhouses. Holding signs and banners they lay to rest the bodies of piglets killed in Victoria, which they say represent the millions of pigs killed by the pork industry.

Founding director of Farm Transparency Project, Chris Delforce, said that today’s vigils were to tell the stories of the victims of an industry which is shrouded in secrecy and misinformation.

“What we’ve found since we released this footage is that, despite widespread public outcry over the horrifying images of pigs dying in agony inside gas chambers, the Australian pork industry and those who support and defend it, have refused to take accountability for their actions, instead hiding behind deception, dishonesty and deflection.”

“For too long, what happens inside Australian farms and slaughterhouses has been hidden behind a veil of secrecy, obscuring an empire of suffering and misery from a public who don’t want animals to be abused in their name. What our footage shows time and time again is that the practices that animal use industries hide behind words such as ‘humane’ and ‘ethical’ are universally violent, painful and terrifying to the intelligent, sentient animals they are used upon.”

“What happens to animals inside Australian slaughterhouses is an area of significant public interest, we are taking action to bring much needed attention to an issue that the government would much rather ignore and hide from.”

The events today are part of a national weekend of action to ban gas chambers and call for a federal inquiry into pig slaughter methods.

Photos and video:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QLTdE0vNZDHct6zG0yR63rSc0BfCRFA3?usp=drive_link