Why are PETA ‘Birds’ at London Fashion Week?

Q: Why did PETA’s “birds” cross Millennium Bridge today?

A: To show designers using feathers at London Fashion Week that they are supporting the abuse of birds.

Feathers Are as Cruel as Fur

Plumage belongs on the gentle birds who were born with it, and humans have no right to tear it from them by the handful.

https://twitter.com/PETAUK/status/1228371575977758720

An eyewitness investigation into the largest ostrich slaughter companies in the world revealed that workers forcibly restrain young ostriches, electrically stun them, then slit their throats.

Moments later, the feathers are torn from the birds’ still-warm bodies before they’re skinned and dismembered. Yet, London Fashion Week deems this atrocity “fashionable”.

It’s Not Just Ostriches

Other birds exploited and killed for their feathers include chickens, turkeys, peacocks, emus, and pheasants. Many of them endure a life of misery on factory farms, confined to spaces so small and crowded that they’re forced to stand in their own waste before being hauled to the abattoir.

Ducks and geese used for down – the soft layers of feathers closest to a bird’s skin – often endure live-plucking, during which feathers are torn from their bodies while they are fully conscious, resulting in open wounds and broken wings.

Birds in breeding flocks and those raised for meat and foie gras may be forced to endure the trauma of plucking every six weeks before eventually being killed. No matter where it comes from, down is a product of cruelty to animals.

Make Your Wardrobe Bird-Friendly

The only way to ensure that no birds suffered for your clothing or accessories is to choose only cruelty-free materials. So always check the label when you’re shopping.

Help Birds and Other Animals Abused for Fashion

Take action by urging these brands and designers to drop animal skins, fur, wool, and feathers and make a fashion statement the kind way, with fabulous vegan textiles.