Trying something new today, my friends. I am hoping to entice, cajole, encourage and convince you, dear readers, to join me in an oh so important march this coming Saturday: The March to Close Down All Slaughterhouses. It is a worldwide affair and I will be marching in my neck of the woods, good old Montreal, Quebec. This is the second annual march in Montreal and I will be walking proudly with some friends who believe, as I do, in respect and freedom for all species. So I am re-posting a post which chronicles my eye opening experience at this same march last year. If you do not live near Montreal, check out the website for other participating cities in other countries. If you would like to join me and my friends, message me and we will set it up. Without further adieu, here it is. I hope that you enjoy!

First Annual March to Close Down All Slaughterhouses circa 2014

It was a glorious day in all respects. We could not have asked for better weather after nearly three days of rain. The sun was shining, there was a  little breeze in the air to go along with the murmurings of anticipation.

The Arrival
The Arrival
The Unfurling
The Unfurling

My husband and I arrived a few minutes early at Carre St-Louis  and sat on a park bench sipping our coffee (black for him and soy cappuccino for me). We could see a line of people, mostly garbed in black, some carrying signs and some not, sauntering up the path to the centre of the park where the organizers were setting up.Two of the organizers from  KARA were preparing the banner for the front of the march.

The Montreal Vegan Rejects
The Montreal Vegan Rejects

 

CBC Filming Event
CBC Filming Event

The Montreal Vegan Rejects, of which I am a new member, had a little table set up with  recommended for reading about Veganism.The organizers outlined the goals of the march as well as the rules for peaceful and respectful marching, while cameramen from CBC and CTV filmed the happenings.

Sign Provided by KARA
Sign Provided by KARA

The participants of about 250 strong chose a provided sign to carry or proudly held one of their own.

The Ottawa Defense League
The Ottawa Defense League

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The Beginning of the March
The Beginning of the March
The Beginning
The Beginning

And then the march began.

We followed along as witnesses and actually I am very glad to have done so, because there are many things I would have missed had I not. The beginning of the march brought words of sarcasm and cruelty from a young man sitting on a terrasse (Montreal lingo for Patio). He chanted, with a look of derision on his face. “We love pork, we love eating lamb, we get all excited about it.” I took a small amount of comfort in seeing that his companions seemed to be very embarrassed, either by his words or his lack of respect. But we moved on, without responding.

  There was lots more to see as we followed along.

Like this:

How Disconnected we are from the Cruelty
How Disconnected we are from the Cruelty

And this:

Non Vegan Botannical Personal Care Products
Non Vegan Botanical Personal Care Products

But then I saw this:

Vegan,Vegan,Vegan-Yay!
Vegan,Vegan,Vegan-Yay!

I spent some time spectating the spectators in order to see their reactions. Some walked by without even noticing . Others stopped and chatted while they watched and some gave shouts of solidarity and flashed the peace sign at the marchers.  One lady stood beside her bike watching as the tears flowed down her face. Shopkeepers stepped away from their busy days to stand in silence and to bear witness.

A Girl and a Mouse
A Girl and a Mouse
The Peace Sign-Still Relevant Today!
The Peace Sign-Still Relevant Today!

In the entry way of a shop I saw a young girl respectfully showing the peace sign as she stood watching. She looked so supportive of the marchers that I stopped to ask her if I could take her picture. She said yes and started searching around in her the back of her top until she found a little mouse who had been hiding there. She lovingly put him on the palm of her hand, made the peace sign and posed for me. After I took her picture, I said to her, “So, I gather you are for all the animals, ” “Oh yes”, she said. “Oh yes” and she waved goodbye.

 

My friend L. is on the left.
My friend L. is on the left.

My attention returned to the marchers. My friend and fellow vegan L., who I had just met through The Montreal Vegan Rejects ,stopped and posed for me as I took her pic. She said that together we could do something and make a difference. She had already made a difference-a positive difference in the life of this vegan who believes that tilting at windmills can bring about positive change. Thanks  L.

Kudos to you, Sir!
Kudos to you, Sir!

Bringing up the last, but not least part of the march was a gentleman with a cane. He was limping a bit and I guess it must have been tough for him to keep up. But there he was, walking with determination. My hat is off to him!  He represents the passion of selfless caring that is germane  to our goal  of  liberation for all nonhuman animals.

Solidarity!
Solidarity!
Mindful reflection1
Mindful Reflection!

The march ended in Parc Lafontaine where we gathered for a ceremony of sorts, some final words from the organizers and some silent reflection. It was a beautiful ending to a peaceful event.

 

My husband and I headed home, pooped out from our day of witnessing and walking. We managed to put together a delicious vegan meal to end a delightful and inspiring vegan day.

Our Plant Based Supper
Our Plant Based Supper

No added fat baked fries,  black bean dip and broccoli and cherry tomatoes from Lufa,  with a splash or two of vegan red wine!!!!!—-oh dear! I almost forgot about the ketchup. One does need ketchup with fries!!

Annie’s Vegan View

Take a chance and try something new. Join a march, introduce yourself to people who share a similar vision. Be open to listening to and learning from their perspectives.

There will always be detractors. Don’t let them draw you into their negativity. At the very least, it will upset you and may distract your from your journey.

Spend some time being a witness to a cause in which you believe deeply. It can be exhilarating and life confirming.

Never doubt that seemingly small steps can have a huge impact when someone is walking beside you. Thank you to all the people who cared enough to organize and participate in this march. It was truly uplifting! Until next time,

May all beings be happy and free.

Anne

 

The Upcoming Annual March to Close Down All Slaughterhouses

5 thoughts on “The Upcoming Annual March to Close Down All Slaughterhouses

  • June 11, 2015 at 8:24 am
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    Thank you so much for this info!!! I didn’t know about this, but Berlin is on the list and I’ll be there. The last demo/march I went to was in April against animal testing. Thank you again for posting this! I would have been so sad to miss it. With you in spirit on Saturday. 🙂

    Reply
    • June 11, 2015 at 3:06 pm
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      Hi Krissa,
      Great news that there is a march in Berlin so that you too can show your solidarity. I will be with you in spirit too. If you happen to take any pictures, I would love to include them in a post along with your thoughts on your experience.
      Take care.
      Anne

      Reply
    • June 16, 2015 at 8:34 am
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      Hey Krissa,
      You are so very welcome!-solidarity for those who cannot defend themselves from human harm. I got your picture and will post it on my website when I publish my review of this year’s march.
      Take care.
      Anne

      Reply
  • June 13, 2015 at 11:49 am
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    Thanks again! I just got home! The weather was completely (for me, I have a health condition that makes heat and sun a problem) horrible, but I kept in mind all that farmed “animals” who were right then/now in trucks in this same weather, some with broken limbs and god knows what being shipped to an agonizing horrible terrifying death and I pulled it off. I was able to carry a sign because one of the groups who organized the Berlin march provided them. I’m going to try to insert a photo here, but if it doesn’t work I’ll email it to you because if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have known about this because it didn’t get publicized. If you see the woman behind the banner with a straw hat and look over her (camera) left shoulder and see a head with a white hat white shirt, that’s me. The sign above her head is the one I was carrying. I helped them with the banner when some of them needed a break, but I only held my sign lower when we passed crowds and it was so they could see…at the restaurants and government offices we stopped at and stuff I was like the statue of liberty for the ones suffering so badly. Again, thank you very much for this post or I would have missed this! I look forward to hearing how yours went!

    (the photo isn’t posting. will send it to you!).

    Reply
    • June 16, 2015 at 8:36 am
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      Hey Krissa,
      Glad that you prevailed. It was a hot day here and I was pooped out at the end, but bolstered by the energy of the committed crowd. My review is in the works.
      Bye for now and many thanks.
      Anne

      Reply

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