‘Thanksgiving Is Murder on Turkeys’ Banner Hangs Over Traffic

For Immediate Release:
November 9, 2005

Contact:
757-622-7382

Austin, Texas — Afternoon drivers will be greeted by a giant “turkey” who, along with members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), will unfurl a huge banner reading, “Thanksgiving Is Murder on Turkeys,” on a busy overpass. Activists will urge travelers to give birds something to be thankful for this holiday by making it a vegetarian holiday meal:

 Date:  Thursday, November 10
 Time:  12 noon-1 p.m.
 Place: West 15th Street Overpass, 1500 block of North Lamar

The purpose of the eye-opening message is to protest the killing of 300 million turkeys each year—more than 40 million during the holiday season alone—for human consumption. Turkeys in factory farms endure debeaking and detoeing without pain relief and are crowded by the tens of thousands into dark, stifling warehouses, where disease, smothering, and heart attacks are common. Today’s turkeys are genetically bred to grow so quickly that their bones and leg muscles often give out under the stress of supporting their huge upper bodies. Millions of turkeys die every year from heat exhaustion, freezing, and accidents during transport.

“Holidays should be a celebration of life, but for turkeys, they are exactly the opposite,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “Turkeys are interesting individuals who are every bit as deserving of our compassion as any dog or cat. Fortunately, meat-free celebrations are becoming more popular as more and more people choose delicious, healthy, and humane fare.”

Consumers can obtain free meatless recipes by calling the PETA hotline at 1-888-VEG-FOOD or by visiting PETA’s Web site GoVeg.com.