Vegan Group To Occupy Smithfield Market Tonight, Activist Tells LBC

6 October 2019, 14:12

Animal Rebellion, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, will occupy a meat market in London tonight to try and convince people to adopt a plant-based diet.

Dillon Fernando told Andrew Castle: "We're going to be taking to the streets, there's thousands of us, we're going to be demanding government action on the climate emergency. We're also going to be asking for a transition to a plant based food system.

"So we're going to be occupying Smithfield Meat Market overnight, we're going to be artistically transforming Smithfield to show a vision to the public of what that plant-based food system could look like.

We're disrupting the idea that Smithfield must always be a place of death and environmental destruction. Because we know that the animal farming and fishing industries are massive contributors to the climate crisis."

Andrew asked about the people going about their lives in the market.

Dillon responded: "We sympathise and we recognise that our activity there is going to cause some disruption, we have engaged in sort of peaceful dialogue with the Smithfield workers."

Andrew Castle then asked: "Do you think it's fair to stop people doing their jobs and perhaps having them lose their jobs? How long are you going to be there, Dillon?"

Dillon replied: "We're going to be occupying the archway at Smithfield so business is going to continue but, ultimately Andrew, the thing we need to get down to is there are no jobs on a dead planet. We are fighting not just for ourselves but we are fighting for our children."

He warned that parts of London could soon be under water and Europe could be under threat from Zika and Dengue Fever.

Andrew asked: "When did you become so convinced of these doomsday scenarios?"

Dillon replied: "When the vast majority of climate scientists are talking about it openly."

He added: "These are facts and we have to deal with them no matter how confronting they are."