VCU Vegetarian Club Hosts Exhibit Comparing Exploitation of Humans and Animals

Images of Torture, Mutilation, and Imprisonment Make the Point That All Exploited Species Suffer

For Immediate Release:
February 26, 2010

Contact:
Shakira Croce  757-622-7382

Richmond, Va. -- Calves confined to veal crates on today's factory farms are like children who were once forced to work in coal mines. Battery-caged hens suffer in much the same way that sweatshop workers do. Sponsored by the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Vegetarian Club, the Liberation Project--the brainchild of peta2, the world's largest youth animal rights organization--will be on display next week at VCU to invite debate from students on these and other comparisons.

Where:   Shafer Court, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
When:    Monday, March 1, through Thursday, March 4 (all day)

"Child labor, human slavery, and the oppression of women and immigrants were addressed only after forward-thinking people challenged the status quo," says peta2 Director Dan Shannon. "Today, nonhuman beings are tormented, denied justice, and slaughtered out of sheer prejudice--just as some human beings have been throughout history."

The exhibit consists of 12 panels with graphic photos juxtaposing past cruelty to women, children, and minorities with photos of animals in similar exploitative situations. With the exhibit, peta2 hopes to inspire students to break down the barriers between species and think about how one's own actions can either perpetuate or stop abuse and exploitation. Click here to view the online version of the exhibit.

The Vegetarian Club raises awareness about factory farming and encourages students to adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet. Last semester, the group gathered  more than 1,300 signatures on a petition asking VCU to remove McDonald's from the campus. The Vegetarian Club will present those signatures to the public student governing body on Wednesday, March 3. 

For more information, please visit peta2.com.