A vegan activism group in Southampton has been working to highlight the “abusive and distressing” ways animals are treated in the corporate food industry.  

Anonymous for the Voiceless (AV) is an animal rights activism organisation that specialises in public demonstrations with the aim of exposing the exploitation of animal.

A small group of six activists from the Southampton branch of the organisation were pitched up outside the entrance to Westquay on Sunday – something the group does each month.

Daily Echo: Group organiser, Vincent FitzGerald, was out with five other activists on SundayGroup organiser, Vincent FitzGerald, was out with five other activists on Sunday (Image: NQ)One of the activists stood holding a television screen and wearing a mask – with scenes of animals be abhorrently treated and slaughtered on an industrial scale by corporate animal farmers.

Out with the group on Sunday was Southampton AV group organiser, Vincent FitzGerald, 77, from Ocean Village, who decided to go vegan back in 1982.

He said: “Back in 1982, I began researching more and more about the treatment of animals and the part I was playing within that – I couldn’t live with myself.

The activist said that more than 70 billion animals are killed in the meat, dairy, fish and egg industry every year.

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He added: “That’s almost more than 10 times the amount of people on earth at the moment – and that takes place every year.

“These are the scenes that big food businesses don’t want you and me to see.

“Most people have absolutely no idea this is happening – the objective here is to make people consider that what they buy from the shop, or a takeaway is funding this torture.

Daily Echo: The group displayed images of animal slaughter in the food industryThe group displayed images of animal slaughter in the food industry (Image: NQ)“When I say to people ‘are you against cruelty to animals?’ the answer is always 'yes' - we can them make them consider the bigger picture and the effect that their actions take.”

He said that reaction to the group’s public demonstrations has been overwhelmingly good.

He added: “People have said on the spot that they will never eat meat again.

“We always provide them with a card – directing them to our website that can show them vegan recipes and vegan friendly restaurants in the area.”

He also said the masks are a great way of getting people’s attention and making them feel they are not being watched when they view the scenes of animals being tortured.