Freedom for every animal!

Almost 630 million chickens, nearly 60 million pigs, 40 million turkeys, 25 million ducks, more than three million cattle, around 2 million sheep and 20,000 goats.

These are not the numbers of animals living in Germany, but those slaughtered in the country in one year. Whilst these figures may seem almost unreal at first glance, they are nonetheless reality. In protest against the killing and exploitation of animals, animal-free and vegan lifestyles are receiving ever more attention, and in Würzburg young people have come together and founded the group "Würzburg Aktiv für Tierrechte und Umweltschutz" (WATU) in 2018.

This coalition of vegans organises, amongst other things, rallies, vigils and large demonstrations. However, the main form of action is the so-called "Circle of Truth", in which activists stand in a circle holding laptops that display footage from industrial animal farming, whilst others engage in conversation with interested passers-by. According to Mie Dorner of WATU, the aim of these actions is not a call for stricter animal protection, but rather a desire for animal liberation. Every animal, whether a dog or a pig, deserves a life in freedom, without their body being exploited or their life being ended prematurely, says the 22-year-old.

The group's protest receives mixed reactions. At a "Circle of Truth", many people would show interest, which leads to very informative conversations, explains the activist. On the other hand, there are also passers-by who hurl derogatory remarks at the activists, though she emphasises that positive feedback clearly outweighs the negative. In fact, it has even happened that the videos depicting animal suffering have brought tears to people's eyes. The student speaks of partly challenging conversations that often develop in very fruitful directions, and one can ultimately dispel many doubts and myths surrounding the vegan lifestyle.

In addition to the "Circle of Truth", WATU also organises rallies to draw attention to how certain service providers and companies profit from animal suffering. In November last year, for example, around 80 activists protested outside Circus Krone, which was performing events with wild animals in Würzburg at that time. Furthermore, the group also participates in vigils. The largest protest action to date, with nearly 300 participants, was the "Animal Rights March" in October 2019, which took place in Würzburg for the first time, was organised by WATU and will take place again on 17.10.2020 .

WATU emphasises that they wish to encourage people to reflect in a peaceful manner. Furthermore, the aim is to provide information on an equal footing about the background of commercial animal farming and its effects on so-called farm animals, on human health and the environment. "We want to inspire as many people as possible to lead an animal-free, vegan lifestyle, with the goal that animals will no longer be exploited in the future for human consumption of meat, milk, fish and eggs", explains WATU. 

Furthermore, WATU emphasises that everyone is invited to participate in actions according to their motivation, time and capacity, and is not obliged to participate regularly. The activists explain: "We are a collective, which means we have no hierarchy in the group and we have formed working groups for various organisational matters such as planning actions, press or public relations work, in which everyone can contribute according to their motivation, time and abilities. This means the number of people who participate in actions and those who take on the organisation constantly varies". Those who would like to learn more about WATU's work can find the group on all common social media channels.

WATU assures all those who are undecided: "Würzburg is exactly the right place to explore the vegan lifestyle!". Würzburg is a very vegan-friendly city with several completely vegan restaurants and many others that offer at least one vegan option. Protesting on a full stomach is simply better.

Jakob Nützel