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Activists protest against the dairy industry
“Milk is not human(e)” read a sign held by one of three topless activists who protested along the harbourside on Saturday.
The three activists had their chests partially covered by DIY milking machines, which resembled similar devices used to milk cows.
They were joined by a woman dressed as a dairy farmer, who informed passers-by, via megaphone, that the three women were “fed regularly”.
is needed now More than ever
She added: “When milk production slows the women are sold to other industries to be used for whatever is profitable.
“As they are not members of society it is acceptable that their lives are cut short, but you can be assured that they had comfortable lives.
“I hope you will agree that this species appropriate milk is the way forward for our cereals and our tea. It also produces cheese for your pizza which is unbelievable creamy and delicious – and we are working on an amazing ice cream in our factory.”
The activists, who protested along the harbourside before stopping in front of the Arnolfini, were one of 20 groups across the world who simultaneously protested against the dairy industry on International Women’s Day.
All groups, including groups in Cambridge, Sheffield, Berlin, New York and Mumbai, were protesting as part of Speciesism.WTF, an animal rights non-profit.
Speciesism.WTF was founded by Stephanie Lane, an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker, to ‘ignite a collective consciousness that recognises the inherent worth of and gives equal consideration to nonhuman beings, regardless of their species’.
The non-profit uses film and performance art to promote their campaigns.
Speciesism.WTF first came to the Arnolfini in 2024, when they protested the arts centre’s Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood exhibit and its lack of representation of “nonhuman females”.
The latest figures from the government department for environment food and rural affairs (DEFRA) show that UK dairy products are valued at £5.98bn.
Five per cent of all farms in England are dairy farms.
Between 2020 and 2023, dairy farms were the most profitable type of farm in England, closely followed by general cropping farms.
Main photo: Brooke Linnet
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