Meat Plant COVID-19 Cases Prompt PETA Hazmat-Suit Protest

A group of PETA supporters descended on Leinster House in Dublin today, when representatives of the meat industry addressed the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response about the large number of COVID-19 cases among its workers.

Clad in hazmat suits, the protesters reminded people that the meat trade is harmful to workers, animals, and public health – and called on the public to stop supporting this toxic industry by going vegan.

Breeding Grounds for Disease

Not only are meat-processing plants and abattoirs places of death for animals, they also facilitate the spread of COVID-19 among workers.

Our action follows reports that abattoirs and meat-processing plants – where workers must labour at a fast pace in close proximity to one another in a cold, dark environment – have emerged as hotspots for the transmission of the disease.

The spread of infection in Ireland has been among the worst in Europe, with over 1,110 confirmed COVID-19 cases across at least 20 clusters in meat-industry facilities.

Eating Meat Has Deadly Consequences

Deadly outbreaks of mad cow disease, swine flu, avian flu, SARS, HIV, foot-and-mouth disease, and other zoonotic diseases have stemmed from capturing or farming animals for food. The novel coronavirus itself originated in a Chinese “wet market”, where live and dead animals were sold for human consumption.

What You Can Do

Not only is animal agriculture responsible for deadly pandemics and putting human lives at risk, it also causes other animals immense suffering and is destroying the planet. Humans’ mistreatment of our fellow animals is harming not only them but also us – now is the time for every one of us to take responsibility for our part.

The link between outbreaks of diseases like COVID-19 and eating meat is undeniable – and the way to prevent future pandemics is clear: we must leave animals off our plates.