University Applauds Students for Keeping KFC Off Campus August 12, 2009
Posted by Ryan at August 12, 2009 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack  |
As it turns out though, we weren't the only ones applauding. The university staff was so impressed by the student campaign that the Environmental Studies department posted a statement on their official website, declaring the campaign "A victory for students and sustainability" and slamming KFC as "a virtual poster child for animal cruelty in food production." They summed it for all of us, by saying that "This was a fine example of students fighting for sustainability and making a difference on campus."
This is further proof that all it takes is a small group of dedicated students to push for big changes at their school. Do you have what it takes?
Students Fighting to Stop KFC From Coming to Campus! April 23, 2009
Posted by Ryan at April 23, 2009 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 12 ) | TrackBack...and it just might happen.
After a sympathetic faculty member contacted PETA to say that a new KFC location might be opening at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, we knew that this wasn't going to happen without a fight!
Thankfully, the student body has jumped into action, gathering petition signatures against KFC and drawing attention to the fact that the company continues to allow chickens to have their beaks sliced off with hot blades and their throats slit while fully conscious. Clearly a chain with such blatant disregard for animals has no place on a college campus (or anywhere for that matter).
The whole situation is being covered by the student newspaper, The Advance-Titan, and the students are optimistic about their chances of stopping KFC in their tracks.
Make sure to show your support for banning KFC from the UWO campus by leaving a message below!
MSU, Circuses, and Iggy Pop...Oh My! April 16, 2009
Posted by Ryan at April 16, 2009 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBackBy now it's well documented that we at peta2 love the Libby-Award-winning student animal rights group at Michigan State University, Students Promoting Animal Rights (SPAR). They got the circus cancelled from performing on campus for the first time in over a decade, continuously push for additional vegan options in the dining halls, and are even working to expose cruelty inside of MSU's notorious animal testing laboratories.
In fact, they rock so hard, we thought it was about time we paid them a visit. That's why we worked with the group to arrange a highly-publicized speaking event on campus with PETA Vice President, Bruce Friedrich.
We spent the whole week handing out flyers, writing letters to promote the talk in the student newspaper, and chalking on the sidewalks all over campus. The result? The buzz surrounding the event was so was high that attendance was standing room only! More than 200 students, from all backgrounds and viewpoints, packed into the lecture hall to hear Bruce speak.
Of course, it's not just peta2 that's taking notice of the student group's high-profile campaigns. Their campaign to permanently ban circuses with animals from campus has just gained a celebrity endorsement from none other than Michigan native and rock icon Iggy Pop!
Photo Credit: RainCityStudios/CC
In Iggy's passionate plea to the university, he reminds the administrators that "Circus trainers beat, shock, and whip animals such as tigers, bear, and elephants to make them perform tricks, which to the animals are confusing and meaningless." You can read Iggy's full letter by clicking here.
If you haven't already, take a second to join Iggy in asking the MSU Board of Trustees to ban circuses from campus by signing the petition.
Also, make sure to leave your positive feedback for these superstar students below.
VICTORY: Michigan State Student Group Bans the Circus! April 5, 2009
Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBackWritten by Mitch Goldsmith, the Vice President of SPAR (Students Promoting Animal Rights) at Michigan State University
Students Promoting Animal Rights (SPAR) at Michigan State University has officially ended their year-long campaign to cancel the annual performance of the Royal Hanneford Circus at the MSU Jack Breslin Student Events Center.
A local organization had been bringing the circus to campus for over a decade which often came unchallenged and unquestioned by students and community members. The Royal Hanneford Circus has routinely failed to meet even minimal standards of care for their animals, and has been cited by the USDA dozens of times for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including for failing to provide animals with proper food, shelter and veterinary care. During the time of their scheduled performance, the Royal Hanneford Circus even employed Tim Frisco, a shamed former Carson & Barnes elephant trainer who was caught on tape savagely beating elephants and instructing others to follow suit.
SPAR took all of this information to the Jack Breslin Student Events Center staff and members of the local organization which brought the circus to campus, in January of 2008 (almost six months before the circus' scheduled performances) during two successive meetings. We requested they review the information provided and follow up with us the following week with assurance that in light of these facts, the circus would be cancelled.
Well, we did not get the answer we had hoped for, and — keep in mind profit is a high priority for the university — they decided to continue with the show, perhaps because they had already received a substantial amount of money for playing host. In the weeks leading up to the circus performance, SPAR attempted to meet with the university president in hopes she would intervene, but we were denied. So now we braced for a battle under the media spotlight instead of behind closed university doors. SPAR created an anti-circus campus Facebook group whose membership swelled to over 1,000 members, bombarded campus dorms and instructions halls with anti-circus leaflets we had made and overwhelmed the student papers with anti-circus editorials and letters to the editor. During all of this, we spoke and made connections with hundreds of students and encouraged them to join us in a picket of the Royal Hanneford's opening night.
With the circus performance underway inside the Events Center, there was another show going on outside the building that got the attention of the media and passerbys alike. Over 80 MSU students stretched out along the entryway to the events center with banners, signs, and enthusiastic slogans against the circus. Nervous Events Center employees and campus police scrambled to understand what was happening as news stations swarmed to interview eager students who had braved the cold to picket the event. While the animals were chained under a tent in the Events Center parking lot, SPAR was able to take a video which showed elephants exhibiting typical signs of severe distress from confinement and lack of enrichment. (This video was taken to university officials with the insistence that they provide the animals with an immediate medical examination — they refused.)
Our protest was a tremendous success, and with the support of the student body and local media, SPAR made an impassioned presentation at the Michigan State University Board of Trustees meeting following the circus' last performance, detailing their cruelty and our efforts to ensure that their 2008 show be their last.
After many successive phone calls, emails and conversations with university representatives, administrators and board members, the animals scored a victory when the university Board of Trustees disallowed animal circuses from performing on campus
The local organization pushing the circus onto the university has vowed to bring the Royal Hanneford to another venue in 2010, but we too have vowed to do all we can to make this ban expand to surrounding areas to ensure mid-Michigan stands firm against horrific animal exploitation.
MSU’s SPAR Protests the Circus on Campus! April 5, 2009
Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack
Written by Drew Winter, president of "Students Promoting Animal Rights" at Michigan State University.
SPAR's circus demonstration was an excellent success with no major problems, mostly because we knew our rights and were peaceful and positive, while making our statement clear to the public. Authorities will not bother you if you don't break the law, but just in case they want to make a fuss, it's best to know what you can and cannot do. This mostly becomes an issue when attempting to get footage of the animals who are chained up before shows. One clown (who wasn't funny anyway) threatened one of our photographers, but we knew he couldn't catch us wearing those big shoes. We stayed out of the way of circus patrons and did not yell or chant at them, instead remaining silent and holding our banners and signs high. We were reminded of why we were there when a dog trainer ran up to us and pleaded that "it's not ALL bad," saying he tries to set an example so that other trainers will treat their animals better.
The demonstration received coverage from two news stations and three newspapers, and the MSU Board of Trustees definitely took notice. After 15 years of the circus coming to MSU, the trustees and SPAR are working together to form a policy to ban circuses at MSU for good.
FGCU is Officially a "KFC-Free Zone"! April 5, 2009
Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBackPower of One’s campaign to make FGCU a KFC-Free Zone
Written by Regina Bale, President of the Power of One student animal rights group at FGCU
Power of One (more affectionately known as POO) began planning to make Florida Gulf Coast University a "KFC-Free Zone" in late September. We decided on our goals for the campaign to get 1000+ signatures on our petition, to let the student body know about KFC's horrific practices when it comes to animal welfare, and to pass a resolution in the Student Senate by the end of the year banning KFC from the FGCU campus.
October is when we really got our feet wet. We created a Facebook group, sent out emails to our entire group, and tabled in the Student Union every Tuesday and Thursday from 2-4pm for the entire month of October. On the 6th we had our annual event the Walk for Farm Animals to benefit Farm Sanctuary and asked all walk participants to sign our petition.
In our university’s news paper Eagle News we had a shout out published in the issue from Oct. 10th stating “Kick the Bucket KFC Stinks.” On the 11th the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education invited us to a student dialogue about food systems and climate change where we were able to talk about our university’s current and future food systems that would not include KFC. We were also invited to participate in the housing De-Stress Yourself event on the 16th where we talked about healthy eating, brought out an awesome skateboarding martial arts chicken, and spread the word about our KFC campaign. By the end of October we had collected 330 signatures
Throughout November POO petitioned at all meetings and events including having POO members take time at the beginning and end of classes to ask for signatures. Our biggest event in Nov. was the Animal Shelter Benefit Concert which alone produced 140+ signatures for the petition and made for an incredible animal friendly night. We also tabled our Turkey Day events including our Gentle Thanksgiving potluck.
As November came to a close we had roughly 500 signatures and had many Student Government (SG) senators sign the petition and suggest we move toward writing a resolution to ban KFC officially. In December we met with the Senate President who introduced us to the senator on the food services committee. Over the holiday break we wrote the resolution and in early January put it through the senate. We also made packets for the senators and committee members with leaflets and DVDs chronicling the appalling treatment of KFC chickens. During the first few weeks of January we wrote the senators, the president of the senate, and the SG president with our concerns about KFC. Our concerns also went to the food services committee along with the signatures collected.
Eagle News published an article about our campaign titled “Animal rights group petitions to keep KFC off campus” in the January 16th issue and published another shout out on the 23rd stating “Keep KFC Out!” On January 29, 2008 the resolution was read, reviewed, questioned, and then voted on, passing 14 to 2! Click the image to view the full article!
Support the Ban on Seal Imports to the EU March 20, 2009
Posted by Marta at March 20, 2009 8:07 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack
TAGGED:
UK ban seal slaughter EU
Sarah from peta2 UK wanted to tell you about some (possibly) exciting news for seals! Check out what she has to say.
-Marta
I bring to you what could be good news for seals! The European Parliament is considering a permanent ban on the trade of seal products from Canada's annual seal slaughter.
The furs that are imported into Europe will have come from thousands of baby harp seals. In 2008, an estimated 205,000 seals were violently killed—some from being beaten over the head and impaled with metal hooks. Check out this video to see what happens for yourself:
All imports of seal products into the EU could end with the proposed new law. The European Parliament will vote in the next few weeks, which is why it is important that we get them to support the ban.
Canada's seal killers admit that an EU ban will cripple their industry—bad times for the clubbers, good times for the seals!
Please make sure you take the time to contact the Members of European Parliament to ensure they vote to support the ban. It's as simple as clicking here to make your voice heard!
Superstar College Activist Petitions to Ban KFC from Campus! July 31, 2008
Posted by Ryan at July 31, 2008 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBackAs The Daily Herald is reporting today, one of peta2's former Star Street Teamers, Jason Levy, is leading an effort to ban KFC from his college campus!
So far, he has gathered over 300 petition signatures from his fellow students, and has even passed a resolution through his student government which supports the ban. Now, it's all up to the Board of Trustees (read: administrators) to make the ban official. Come on, administrators, get with the program! :)
Jason's campaign comes on the heels of a similar one at Florida Gulf Coast University, and students from all over the country are starting to organize similar petitions for their campus.
Want to get involved? Drop us a line to get a "KFC-Free Zone" campaign started on your campus!
Also, you can check out the full article about Jason's efforts by clicking on the clip below:
Great work, Jason. We're all rooting for you!
Give me a J (J!) Give me an A (A!)...
- Ryan!
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