Activists lined the street in front of the newly built barns of Patton Farms Inc., masked and socially distant, and held signs highlighting their concerns.
Credit: SUBMITTED / AMY SORANNO
October 11, 2020 – 4:00 p.m.
Animal activists gathered outside a turkey farm and slaughterhouse in Kelowna due to open next year.
Activists lined the street in front of the newly built barns of Patton Farms Inc., masked and socially distant, and held signs highlighting their concerns.
“We know turkey farms are a major water, land and air polluter that makes local residents sick. Studies have shown that violent crime rates are increasing in areas where slaughterhouses are open, and we know that the largest outbreaks of COVID are -19 slaughterhouses in Canada where places like Patton are breeding grounds for infectious disease, severe contamination and violence, “said Amy Soranno in a press release.
“We urge Patton to close all animal farms and slaughterhouses and move to a commercial plant-based food operation to ensure the well-being and sustainability of our community.”
Patton has yet to open, so the criticisms aren’t specific to her.
The activists have launched a campaign called Shutdown Patton aimed at shutting down Patton Farms Inc. and they have created a petition calling for “no slaughterhouses in Kelowna”. They also ask people to email their concerns to the Central Okanagan Regional Unit (RDCO) at regionalboard@rdco.com
It’s not the first time animal activists have turned their focus to local businesses.
In November 2019, Soranno and seven other protesters chained themselves to the entrance to the downtown Kelowna internal savings branch on Bernard Avenue and Richter Street.
The group said in a press release at the time that Interior Savings is playing a huge role in sponsoring not only the Kelowna RibFest, but other RibFests across BC as well
“Festivals like this can’t take place without sponsors to donate money. That’s why we’re calling on Interior Savings to stop supporting a festival that destroys our environment and supports farms that are known to engage in criminal animal cruelty,” said Soranno.
They were arrested but the police were not charged.
In April 2019, they targeted the Excelsior pig farm in Abbotsford. It supplies pork ribs to many RibFest vendors, and they accused the farm of “criminal animal cruelty”. In late April 2019, more than 60 people stormed the Excelsior Hog Farm. Dozens sat “in solidarity” with pigs.
Soranno himself faces five counts of break and enter and two counts of mischief from the latter event.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2020
