VGT is protesting against fully slatted floor pigs at the Federal Farmers’ Day in Villach – 2024-04-12 22:07:38

Call for email protest to Totschnig – ÖVP is trying to prevent the animal protection protest through unconstitutional “placeholder demos”.

Vienna (OTS) – The next few weeks are crucial for the future of pigs in Austria. Will they continue to be forced forever onto a sharp-edged, fully slatted concrete floor, as the ÖVP and the pig industry want, or will there at least be a soft lying area for them at some point? Yesterday and today, the VGT took advantage of Agriculture Minister Totschnig’s presence at the Federal Farmers’ Day in the Congress Center in Villach to draw attention to the suffering of pigs. But the ÖVP has once again registered so-called placeholder demos, as it has done so often on practically all similar occasions. To do this, a few women in dirndls stand in front of the entrance to the event, call themselves a demo and demand that the authorities create a restricted zone for animal protection protests. In fact, a VGT rally was therefore banned by the police. The one that actually took place was postponed far away.

VGT chairman DDr. Martin Balluch is outraged: “When the regulation for exclusion zones for demos near other gatherings was introduced, the aim was to separate rival groups from each other in order to prevent violence. The ÖVP, a government party, is now using this to prevent critical protests. Despite everything At their events, they announce a rally in front of the entrance to the hall with the sole aim of moving animal protection protests out of sight and hearing. These so-called “placeholder demos” are clearly an unconstitutional abuse of the right to assemble. This is now completely normal for the ÖVP; they do it every time they celebrate something or hold a conference somewhere. If the police take the right to assembly seriously, they should put an end to this abuse.”

The VGT is therefore calling for an email protest to Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig. 92% of the population want pigs to have straw. According to the ÖVP’s current plan, there will not be an end to fully slatted floors, even in new buildings and renovations, as has often been falsely reported. Time is of the essence, a decision about the future of the pigs must be made before the summer in order to be passed during this legislative period.

Pressefotos (Copyright: VGT.at)

Questions & Contact:

VGT – ASSOCIATION AGAINST ANIMAL FACTORIES
DDr. Martin Balluch
Campaign management
01 929 14 98
media@vgt.at