Charles Darwin Festival Prompts PETA ‘End Speciesism’ Billboard

Charles Darwin Festival Prompts PETA ‘End Speciesism’ Billboard

Shrewsbury – Ahead of the DarwIN Shrewsbury Festival – an annual event in Charles Darwin’s hometown which celebrates the naturalist’s life’s work – PETA is looking to place its “#EndSpeciesism: We also feel pain, love, joy, and fear” billboard in the Shrewsbury area to honour his contributions to the animal protection movement.

Darwin introduced humans to the idea that our species shares a common ancestry with all forms of life. It is because of Darwin’s research that people started to realise that other animals are like us in all the ways that matter – we all feel pain, engage in play, parent, and experience emotions such as joy, love, loneliness, and fear. This led to the understanding that all animals should be treated with compassion and respect.

“Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking theory of evolution established humans as just one animal among many, which is the very foundation of the modern animal rights movement,” says PETA Director Elisa Allen. “PETA’s billboard would help celebrate Darwin’s legacy by reminding everyone that we’re all part of the great orchestra of life on Earth.”

PETA notes that, in addition to his research into evolution, Darwin spearheaded legislation to regulate experiments on animals in England to reduce animals’ suffering and campaigned against steel-jaw traps used by game wardens and fur trappers, which crush animals’ legs. As he once wrote, “I have all my life been a strong advocate for humanity to animals.”

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow the group on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Contact:

Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]

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