Animal rights activists ‘bury’ turkeys in grocery stores

Four animal rights activists with Direct Action Everywhere protested animal farming at local grocery stores on Sunday.

Their first stop was the Hardeeville Walmart around 3:30 p.m., where they took several turkeys out of the store’s cooler and set them on the floor atop a mat with flowers. The activists were dressed in all black, creating a mock burial scene for the birds.

The goal of the “disruption,” as Lowcountry chapter organizer Lauren Koslow described it, was not to keep folks from buying turkeys but to start conversations in the community. She said this type of protest is modeled after other social justice movements.

We’re not just standing there with signs; we’re engaging people,” Koslow said. She also explained that the animal liberation network isn’t pointing fingers at any particular grocery store or individual but is criticising the idea of animal farming as a whole. “There’s no humane way to kill someone who doesn’t want to die,” she said, explaining her view on the matter.

Walmart employees escorted the activists out of the store about five minutes after the protest began. On their way out, the protesters chanted, “It’s not food; it’s violence,” until they were outside.

After that, the activists said they were heading to Publix at Bluffton Commons to repeat the process there.

This story was originally published November 20, 2016 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Animal rights activists ‘bury’ turkeys in grocery stores."