Végétariens, Végétaliens contre l'exploitation animale
Here's a list of questions and answers that will help you to know and understand Veggie Pride better.
If you still have questions about it, please feel free to contact us at the following address : info@veggiepride.org
Veggie Pride is an annual demonstration in Paris of Vegans and Vegetarians (veg*ans) who assemble to protest against the exploitation of animals. A march takes place through the streets of Paris which is followed by a gathering in a square during which there are information stands, food tastings, speeches, music etc.
This gathering allows followers of the cause to make new acquaintances, talk and promote mutual support.
The aim of the Veggie Pride march is to bring veg*ans together to demonstrate publicly in order that everyone of them become a spokeperson of the animals' cause instead of remaining unnoticed. In order to do this we encourage them to express their pride in being veg*an, to join the fight against prejudice against veg*ans and to defend their rights as citizens. In effect, the oppression of non-human animals is also a violation of the rights of human beings. Amongst these are the following :
The idea was that of one individual (David Olivier) who was one of a handful of similar minded people. Things really took off on 31 August 2001 when a proposal for a march in Paris was raised in two Internet discussion groups dedicated to animals. Several people showed interest in the project. To firm up the idea, another discussion group was created on 3 September 2001. This new group formed the basis for the political platform of Veggie Pride.
A few weeks later on 13 October 2001, the first Veggie Pride assembled around 200 demonstrators who held a symbolic march around Place des Innocents (the police having allowed only a static demonstration). The demonstration was followed by 'France 3 Ile de France', pictures were taken up and showed by 'Canal+' and 'Télé 7 Jours'. Details of the demonstration were broadcast by several other elements of the media, including 'Technikart' in France and 'NRJ" et "La Dernière Heure' in Belgium.
Bearing in mind the fact that it was only the first one, organised with meagre resources in less than two months, this unexpected media coverage and the success in mobilising 200 demonstrators were encouraging for future marches.
The second march, which benefited from improved preparations, took place on 18 May 2002 in Paris. Around 500 demonstrators came together to march between Place de Jussieu and Place de la Sorbonne. This time the demonstration was broadcast by several national TV and radio stations (France 3, France Info, NRJ, RFM, 24 Heures…) and several regional and specialist media stations.
The event gained magnitude during this second event with a greater mobilisation, increased support from groups, including those from abroad, and more media interest. We are hoping to repeat the success in future years.
Veggie Pride is organised by individuals (as opposed to a coalition of groups) of all ages, from differing backgrounds. In the main, they came together in Internet Discussion Groups dealing with veg*ism and the animal question. All the organisers are vegetarian or vegan out of compassion for animals animals - contrary to people who are vegetarian for their health, ecological or humanitarian reasons. Almost every debate and decision concerning the progress of the demonstration is made through the Internet Discussion group dedicated to Veggie Pride. Any person, fulfilling a few pre-conditions is able to join in the debate.
Organisation of a demonstration such as Veggie Pride requires a substantial budget in order to finance :
The organisations that support Veggie Pride provide moral and logistical help such as spreading information to their members and providing the means to transport demonstrators. However, no financial help is asked of them. Veggie Pride receives no grants or financial help from any source.
The costs are currently at the expense of the organisers themselves. All offers of donations are very welcome.
Veggie-pride takes place on the third Saturday of May.
The next four marches will therefore take place on the following Saturdays :
So that we are recognised and accepted, we have to show ourselves as numerous and united. To this end, it is preferable not to organize several little demonstrations in different places. However, we strongly encourage Veggie-Pride projects in other countries and invite interested parties to contact us.
Participants must only satisfy one criteria, that they are vegetarian because they oppose animal suffering, the killing of animals for consumption and that the motivation for this is compassion. Some participants call themselves 'non- species-ist' or supporters of animal rights. Others put themselves forward as people who consider that satisfying taste preferences is a poor reason for killing sentient creatures.
Non-vegetarians are not welcome to demonstrate. However, they are welcome to benefit from the literature available on the day and thus become better informed. They are welcome to come along, put any questions they may have to any of the participants and enjoy the various aspects of the event
It is important that the march consists only of those who have come in their own name to express their pride at being vegetarian for the animal cause.
The idea of Veggie-Pride is to encourage veg*ans to "come out", to dare confirm the reason for their being vegetarian, to air their feelings and convictions concerning the daily treatment of animals. The idea is also to strengthen their resistance in the face of attempts by family and work colleagues to marginalise them. Veggie-Pride is aimed at veg*ans as individuals and their presence only as individuals is needed. Veggie-Pride is not aimed at providing the means by which organisations may promote themselves. It is imperative that logos or names of organisations DO NOT appear on banners or placards used during the march.
That said, organisations are not totally excluded. They may :
Any proposals to liven up the demonstration are very welcome :
To have a role in the organisation of Veggie-Pride, participants must be veg*an for reasons of avoiding animal suffering and the killing of animals for food. They must stick to the spirit of Veggie-pride, notably the wish to :
This being the case, all that remains is for you to subscribe to the e-mail circulation list dedicated to the organisation of Veggie-Pride (and where all decisions concerning the demonstration are taken)
Once registered on the circulation list, you have access to the exchanges of dialogue concerning the organisation of the event. Particularly valued will be your help in suggesting new ideas and contributing towards the accomplishment of many other tasks, for example :
To subscribe you need to send a blank e-mail to :
vp-fr-subscribe@yahoogroupes.fr
You will then receive an e-mail confirming that all you will then need to do is "reply" to confirm that you DO wish to subscribe and to the list and that you haven't been subscribed without your knowledge. If the procedure works correctly, you'll receive an e-mail confirming your successful registration.
From then on, you will begin to receive in your Inbox any subsequent exchanges of dialogue. If you no longer wish to take part in the organisation of Veggie-Pride and wish to cancel your registration, all you need to do is send a blank message to the following address :
vp-fr-unsubscribe@yahoogroupes.fr
You will then need to confirm the cancellation of your registration.
Circulation lists (of which there are thousands) allow groups of people to discuss a particular subject by way of e-mail. The list's e-mail address is used by anyone wanting to send a message, this message is then of course circulated to everyone subscribed to the list. It is necessary to subscribe to the list in order to be able to participate in the discussions.
Note : The list dedicated to the organisation of Veggie-Pride produces between 10 and 20 e-mails per day during the period of its organisation
With "Lesbian and Gay Pride" homosexuals were able to 'come out of their closet', to announce in public that they weren't embarrassed by their sexuality, and to denounce homophobia. Numerous vegetarians and vegans want to do the same thing with 'vegephobia'. They want to be able to express their desire not to exploit animals.
The use of the term pride to defend the rights of vegetarians and vegans creates a parallel between the two demonstrations, which are similar in many ways.
Also, Veggie Pride has an international vocation. Its website (www.veggiepride.org) is translated into several languages; the organisations which support it come from different countries; since the second demonstration many foreigners have taken part, and we hope that eventually similar demonstrations will take place in other countries. The name"Veggie Pride" can be easily adopted abroad, without the need for translation.
Our pride means firstly the wish to proclaim that we shouldn't be ashamed of our decision not to kill animals for our consumption, that we will no longer be intimidated by the jibes that this choice provokes.
From our point of view, animal exploitation is not morally justifiable behaviour.
Therefore, not eating animals is the least we can do - just as we won't rape or torture people.
But those who eat meat are just perpetuating the horrors inscribed in their culture and to get rid of this system is not an easy thing.
This is why we prefer to put forward our pride at having said no to animal exploitation. We condemn the ideology of the exploitation rather than those who participate in the massacre.
The winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Isaac Bashevis Singer said that becoming vegetarian was the thing that made him most proud in his life.
Our pride means having done the least of things, something very important but elementary, that the whole world must do and can do.
Veggie Pride is a demonstration by vegetarians and vegans against animal exploitation and is therefore similar to other movements whose goals are animal protection and the promotion of vegetarianism and veganism.
What distinguishes Veggie Pride from the other animal rights movements is that it puts vegetarianism/veganism at the forefront, believing that animal consumption causes the most suffering to animals.
What also distinguishes it from other movements is that its goal is not to present a particular diet or way of life, as interesting as it may be. Its uniqueness lies in the inclusion of a moral message (pride in not eating animals) and numerous demands linked to the fight against vegephobia.
We are sometimes reproached for not using all the available arguments for promoting vegetarianism and veganism :
This choice is deliberate. It isn't that we find these other arguments negligible. But we wanted to break away from the ideology that a cause only merits being defended if it serves human interests. The other animals are the main victims of the physical abuse and the killing for meat. To put an end to this is sufficient reason to stop devouring them. Veggie Pride is dedicated to them.
What matters to us above all, as vegetarians and vegans against animal exploitation, the slaughter of animals. Aren't we betraying them by defending our rights rather than theirs?
We are not ashamed of asking for rights for ourselves. It would be absurd to arguethat we do so instead of fighting for the rights of non-human animals. A little story to explain this point ...
A lady enters a shop. She asks if she can put up a poster calling for people to demonstrate against discrimination and violence towards foreigners. The shopkeeper, who is deeply xenophobic, insults the woman and brutally throws her outside.
Is that woman wrong to denounce the aggression she has suffered? Should she keep quiet on the pretext that this unfortunate experience is nothing compared to what foreigners put up with ?
In fact, she was insulted for siding with the victims of xenophobia. The reason why she was attacked is the same as the one which causes the more serious suffering to those with whom she is showing solidarity. By protesting at what was done to her, she defends her right to act in order that this suffering ceases.
Similarly, Veggie Pride participants denounce the behaviour that they are victims of which is a manifestation of the attitudes which more seriously damage other animals.
The rights which society gives us are the only ones that other animals possess indirectly today. In this respect they are very precious. It's for this reason that we don't fight on the margins of society, but within society, and that we intend to get respect for our rights as citizens and in particular the right to question animal consumption.
Veggie Pride is just one form of action amongst many. Each of us in our own way is also involved in the struggles to directly defend animals.
From the moment that we admit that we refuse to imprison, force-feed, terrorise, mutilate, deprive of social interaction, asphyxiate, knock out, electrocute, cut the throats of others simply to satisfy old habits or dietary preferences, our ideas are at best mocked, shouted down (over-sensitivity, immaturity..) or, worse, suspected of promoting odious ideologies (hating humanity, allegiance to dangerous cults.) Many vegetarians and vegans prefer to pass unnoticed or to give false reasons in the hope of escaping the mockery and the social reprobation.
Vegephobia is the phenomenon which constrains vegetarians and vegans either not to take responsibility for their convictions, or to find themselves marginalized by their entourage. Through Veggie Pride we want to say that we no longer accept this situation. We want to see a reasoned discussion of our proposals, in place of the laughs and insults.
Saying to people "animals are killed so that you can eat them", is not about attacking these people, it's about refusing to lie to them, it's about considering that they are capable of understanding everything we have already understood.
Through Veggie Pride, we simply want to express publicly, collectively, frankly, without exaggeration or censure, what we think. We no longer want to have a choice between hypocrisy or marginalization. We consider it to be both our right and a mark of respect towards those who surround us.
Questioning what people eat is often seen as a sign of intolerance, an encroachment on an area of purely personal choice. However there is no reason to grant such an exceptional immunity to dietary choices. The legitimacy of the act of eating animal flesh, and therefore of causing suffering to and killing animals, is an ethical question, and can as such become the subject of a debate at the heart of society, just like any other ethical question.
It is, on the contrary, the desire to directly forbid such a debate which seems intolerant to us.
Wouldn't it be more effective, in order to convince people not to eat meat, or to eat less of it, to use, like so many vegetarians and vegans, more consensual arguments than those relating to the fate inflicted on animals; such as the arguments concerning health, the third world, or ecology ? Can't we bring people round to our point of view without speaking about the animals, and without getting people who eat animals to face up to their responsibilities concerning the treatment of animals ?
We don't believe this, or in any case refuse to accept the discourse which makes that out to be the only acceptable strategy.
We believe that the extent of the suffering and the death caused by the consumption of meat justifies that we speak loud and clear on this subject, at least to have arguments against such frankness which have a stronger efficacy than those presented to us.