Activism

California "Meat is Immoral" billboard covered due to pusbhack from cattle ranchers

Meat is Immoral BillboardCredit: Meat is Immoral

A new billboard put on California's Highway 101 stated simply that Meat is Immoral. Within 24 hours, the controversial billboard was covered up following complaints by cattle ranchers demanding it be taken down. The billboard has been covered.



Happy Hen Animal Sanctuary, a California non-profit, sponsored a billboard on Highway 101 that states "Meat Is Immoral" and directs people to the website MeatIsImmoral.com. The site provides information about the devastating impact that meat has on animals, climate, and workers. The "Meat is Immoral"' campaign was organized by 17-year-old activist Zoe Rosenberg and has been gaining substantial momentum online.



The first billboard went up earlier this week on a major California highway and, almost immediately, cattle ranchers complained. The ranchers who own the property on which the billboard was posted demanded it be taken down. As a result, the billboard was covered over by black vinyl.



The group says, multiple lawyers have questioned the legality of this censorship. There may be a first amendment violation involved with denying service based upon a genuinely held ethical position. At the present time, the "Meat Is Immoral" campaign is exploring legal options as well as alternate locations.



"People need to understand that meat is immoral for animals, for climate, and even for humanity" says 17-year-old activist, Zoe Rosenberg. "Animal agriculture kills over 70 billion animals each year and is a leading cause of climate change. This simple billboard was meant to raise awareness and educate the public about these important and timely issues."



The "Meat Is Immoral" campaign aims to erect billboards all around the country. This grass roots effort has been gaining attention as supporters help spread the message by purchasing shirts, bags, buttons, and stickers. All profits go to billboards, but if freedom of speech is being censored, this may make the task extra difficult. However, it may also rally supporters.



Zoe Rosenberg is not a newcomer to this controversial fight. As the founder of a major animal sanctuary in California (Happy Hen Animal Sanctuary), she has spent the last 6 years helping to rescue animals from factory farms and slaughterhouses. She has been arrested numerous times while protesting industries that use animals for food. Her popular TED talk from 2017 gives some background about her activism.



"I have been inside slaughterhouses and I know what these animals go through," says Rosenberg. "We all have a moral responsibility to speak up in whatever way we can."



Rosenberg says she will not be giving up on the billboard campaign and this controversy will only push her to fight harder to reach people with this message.

Flyover Video of Billboard. Video of Covered Billboard.

