Hell no, they won’t go

TAKE THESE BROKEN WINGS Local PETA rep RaeLeann Smith protests Kentucky Fried Chicken’s treatment of animals.

PETA
(peta.org)
Mission Promote the ethical treatment of animals
Victories Worked with 48th Ward Ald. Mary Ann Smith to put a humane-handling ordinance before the City Council; aims to prevent cruelty toward Lincoln Park Zoo animals and animals in transport. Instrumental in the 2006 foie gras ban.
Methods Picket lines, video outreach, online activism, street theater

Nationally, PETA’s name is synonymous with exposing the inhumane treatment of animals in slaughterhouses and fur plants. Their more outrageous protests have included placing a naked, pregnant woman in a cage in London’s Covent Garden (to demonstrate poor conditions for pigs) and stickering grocery-store tomatoes with labels encouraging shoppers to throw them at fur-wearers. Though it doesn’t have a physical office in Chicago, the Norfolk, Virginia–based organization has focused its local efforts on working with the city to prevent cruel handling of animals after three Lincoln Park Zoo elephants died between 2003 and 2005. PETA also has organized numerous picket lines outside local Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants, with protesters holding signs that say SCALDED ALIVE and BEAKS CUT OFF.

But PETA’s not just about picket lines and disturbing photos of mistreated animals; according to local PETA rep RaeLeann Smith, protesting can also be…entertaining? “We try to counter that stuff with fun, upbeat things that people can get behind.” For example, on kentuckyfriedcruelty.com, visitors can play a Super Mario spoof called Super Chick Sisters, featuring baby chicks jumping on an evil Col. Sanders.

The Internet has proven useful in evoking strong reactions: PETA volunteers show videos of zookeepers’ inhumane treatment of animals on laptops to people entering the circus. “Video has changed everything,” Smith says. “People will watch the video and stop dead in their tracks, start crying and turn around.” PETA has also bought PetSmart stock so the group could attend shareholder meetings in Chicago last year and talk to the money folks about PETA’s allegations of animal cruelty in the chain. Smith admits many critics complain about PETA’s tenacity and bold tactics but says members rarely get arrested.

Does the organization plan to protest the recent police shooting of a cougar in Roscoe Village? “We never fault law-enforcement officials for taking action when public safety is at risk,” Smith says. “There is speculation the cougar may have been someone’s pet, and what we hope to do is redirect some of that anger to the illegal pet-smuggling industry.” Pet smugglers, consider yourselves warned.

—Jonathan Messinger

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