In front of a slaughterhouse in Yvelines, animal rights activists face the agricultural world

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Animal rights activists gathered, Wednesday September 25, 2024, in front of theGuy Harang slaughterhousein Houdan (Yvelines), the last pig slaughterhouse in Île-de-France. Faced with them, the agricultural world organized a pork barbecue in support of the slaughterhouse and the industry.

Two irreconcilable camps?

An important device gendarmerie was also deployed in rue des Moulinats, opposite the site. The gendarmes and around ten CRS buses secured the meeting of two camps which seem to be made to never understand each other. A device to avoid excesses like the infiltration of L214 in May 2017. The activists had entered the slaughterhouse to film.

In Houdan, the gathering of L269 activists (269, due to the number of the first calf saved from the slaughterhouse in Israel) suggested a large-scale mobilization, as part of a Stand up against the slaughterhouses. At the same time, rallies were organized in France and abroad.

THE anti-speciesistsaround thirty at the height of the Houdanese mobilization, chanted their slogans in front of more than 200 farmers.

“We are not against vegans. But we are in a democracy where minorities want to impose their choices on others. This is not normal. I understand that people don’t want a slaughterhouse near them, but this allows us to control production in France, instead of having less well-produced imported meat. »

For the FDSEA, the question is that of the premises and the meat traceability distributed. For Pauline Winocour, vice-president of the Department, in charge of rurality, agriculture, food and short circuits: “When we hit this type of tool, we take the risk of their closure. It is important to support the sectors.” The Houdan slaughterhouse notably supplies the town’s college.

“They are all guilty”

“They are all guilty of torturing and murdering our animal friends who are sentient beings, like us. They feel fear, pain and death coming. This is supposed to be a human-scale slaughterhouse. 600 pigs die there every day,” argues an activist, participating in a rally for the first time.

The Houdan slaughterhouse employs a hundred people. It also allows breeders to carry out processing before marketing on their farms. Closing the place would jeopardize theeconomy of the sector.

“Killing animals is not a job. There are other solutions. They can retrain in other sectors of agriculture such as market gardening. But a hundred jobs on the scale of billions of animals being killed is nothing,” she continues. And to affirm: “The human species will survive without breeders and slaughterhouses. Associations help farmers to reconvert”, taking as an example the case of a Swiss couple who moved from cattle breeding to opening a plant-based bakery and pastry (without animal products).

A long way

“Activists still choose the Houdan slaughterhouse, which has nothing to complain about because it is more convenient for Parisians. If they want to denounce animal abuse, they had to come first. The slaughterhouse is very well managed. Veterinary services are present. »

Also president of the Pays Houdanais Community of Communes, he indicates: “Mobility, buildings of all types and agriculture are the three subjects on which we will work as part of the Climate plan. THE agricultural world must get organized and we will support them.” Jean-Marie Tétart imagines the possibility for farmers to supply the canteen, the hospital and other collective catering services in the Houdanais region with local products. And to note: “It is preferable to work over time instead of organizing one-off operations. If they have energy to spare, we must explain instead of imposing”

“We make awareness to passers-by with images of cruelty. Some people stop in front of images of animal exploitation and we talk to them,” argues an activist.

For farmers and animal rights activists, the subject is also that of consumers. If farmers highlight the choice of French and local products, pro-animal activists call on consumers to no longer consume organic products.animal origin.

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