Fast-Food Protesters Did Not See This Coming (Photo)

On Thursday, fast-food workers came together in 150 cities all over the country for a day of action to demand fair wages and the right to unionize. A PETA “chicken” joined the picket line in front of a McDonald’s in Los Angeles to ask that people “strike” chicken nuggets from their diets.

Chickens raised for McDonald’s restaurants are often thrown so roughly into transport crates that their bones break. Once they reach the slaughterhouse, they’re slammed upside down into metal shackles, which can cause more injuries, including bruising, hemorrhaging, and broken legs. Because electronic stunning is ineffective, many birds are still conscious when their throats are slit. If the blade misses its mark, the chickens may still be conscious when they’re immersed in tanks of scalding-hot water.

McDonald’s, which posted $6.7 billion in revenue last quarter, can likely easily afford to pay its employees better—and we can all afford to treat chickens better by leaving them off our plates.