Stars join fight against factory farming
Stars such as Paul McCartney, Joanna Lumley and Martin Shaw appear in a new video to mark national vegetarian week, which starts tomorrow.
The short film has been produced by Viva!, which is campaigning against factory farm practices.
The issue will be highlighted in a national march and rally in central London on Saturday.
Those attending will be shown the film, in which Paul says: ‘‘There are a whole lot of things wrong with our planet at the moment.
‘‘We hear a lot of words from big business and from government but they don’t seem to do much about it. But we can do something about it.
‘‘We can help the environment, we can help end cruelty to animals and we can help improve our own health, and all you have to do is go vegetarian.’’
Viva! say 45 billion animals were slaughtered in the world last year, one billion in Britain, and most of them were factory farmed.
Actress Joanna Lumley, a strong supporter of the group, says: ‘‘We’ve got to realise that we’re creatures of this planet, treat living things with respect and the earth will show respect back.’’
Actor Martin Shaw, says: ‘‘If people, before they eat their meals, were taken to a factory farm and saw the degradation and torture they are party to, I don’t think most would want to carry on.’’
Others who appear in the film are singer Chrissie Hynde, prominent barrister and Viva! patron Michael Mansfield, QC, actor Jerome Flynn, and TV presenter Wendy Turner-Webster.
