- On July 22, Animal Equality delivered 60,000 petition signatures to the Olympic organizing committee in Paris, calling on them to remove foie gras from the VIP menu.
- Together with local animal welfare groups and volunteers, Animal Equality put up signs and projected messages onto local buildings.
- Abigail Penny–CEO of Animal Equality UK–personally presented the signature to the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee.
- The in-person visit to Paris has boosted the campaign just days before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
On July 22, just days before the Olympics, Animal Equality has stepped up its global campaign. anti-foie gras campaigners traveled to Paris, bringing with them more than 60,000 petition signatures calling on Olympic organizers to remove foie gras from VIP menus.
Supported by local groups and volunteers, protesters held signs outside the organizers’ offices highlighting the cruelty of foie gras production. Their message: the public will not tolerate animal cruelty.
Animal Equality UK CEO Abigail Penny personally handed the signatures to the Paris 2024 Organising Committee. That evening, supporters projected messages onto buildings across Paris, declaring that consumers wanted foie gras removed from the Games.
Their actions attracted the attention of thousands of locals and tourists.
Long journey to Paris
Over the past month, Animal Equality has been campaigning to remove foie gras from Olympic hospitality menus. The campaign was spearheaded by President and Co-Founder Sharon Núñez, and began with a letter to the event’s organizers.
More than 60,000 people have signed Animal Equality’s global petition. A second letter followed, signed by Olympic medalists, conservationists, sustainability experts and animal welfare scholars.
The campaign also included an email and social media effort, prompting thousands of supporters to message event organizers and comment on chefs’ Instagram posts.
Animal Equality’s efforts have received extensive media coverage, with articles in media outlets such as world, Forbes Magazine, IndependenceAnd Mirror.
Despite the campaign, Olympic organizers have yet to take action. With the Games opening this Friday, Animal Equality has stepped up its campaign with a visit to Paris.
What is foie gras?
Every year, millions of ducks and geese suffer in the foie gras industry in France alone. The animals are force-fed large amounts of high-calorie food to induce fatty liver disease, then their livers are removed and served in high-end restaurants. This force-feeding process occurs up to 63 times in an animal’s lifetime.
Animal Equality has documented severe suffering on foie gras farms through more than a dozen investigations across Europe. Evidence shows birds suffering from breathing difficulties, eye infections, broken wings and beaks, some covered in blood or left to die and rot.
A compassionate approach to luxury
French chef Alexis Gauthier, owner of three restaurants in London, has created his own plant-based mock gras recipe. This compassionate alternative delivers the rich, luxurious flavor of traditional foie gras without the cruel force-feeding. For more details on how make this compassionate dishVisit Love Veg today.
You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive a free cookbook with more plant-based recipes, bringing more kindness to your kitchen.
DUCK PROTECTION
Even before hatching from the egg, ducklings communicate with their close-knit family.
Protect these families by eating plants and eliminating animal products.
