June 11th 2024.
A group of animal advocates recently caused a stir at a London gallery when they took matters into their own hands and defaced the first official portrait of King Charles. The group, known as Animal Rising, shared a video on social media showcasing their act of vandalism. In the video, two activists can be seen using a paint roller to cover the portrait with signs and stickers.
The portrait, which had been on display at the Philip Mould gallery in central London, had drawn attention since its unveiling earlier this year. Painted by artist Jonathon Yeo, the portrait depicts the king surrounded by bold, red brush strokes. Needless to say, the unconventional portrayal sparked mixed reactions.
The activists' motive for defacing the painting was to bring attention to a recent report released by their group. The report investigated 45 farms that are certified by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). These farms are supposed to adhere to higher welfare standards for their animals, but Animal Rising's findings were disturbing. They claimed to have found instances of severe animal cruelty on all of the farms they visited.
In their act of protest, the activists covered the king's head with a sticker of Wallace, a beloved British animation character from the popular show Wallace and Gromit. They also added a speech bubble with a caption that read, "No cheese Gromit, look at all of this cruelty on RSPCA farms." The aim was to draw the king's attention to the suffering happening on farms that are endorsed by the RSPCA.
This incident took place just a month after King Charles became the royal patron of the RSPCA. In response to the vandalism, an Animal Rising activist explained, "With King Charles being such a big fan of 'Wallace and Gromit,' we couldn't think of a better way to bring his attention to the horrific scenes on RSPCA Assured farms. While we hope this is amusing to His Majesty, we also urge him to seriously reconsider his association with these farms that promote such cruelty."
Animal Rising is an organization that advocates for a plant-based food system and is campaigning for the RSPCA's Assured scheme to be abolished. According to them, this scheme is just a cover-up for the widespread cruelty happening on these farms.
The RSPCA, on the other hand, responded to the allegations made by Animal Rising, stating that they take any concerns about animal welfare seriously. They also expressed shock at the vandalism of the painting, stating that they welcome scrutiny of their work but cannot condone illegal activities.
The gallery owner, Philip Mould, assured that the painting was not damaged since it was protected by a layer of Perspex. He also mentioned that the stickers used by the activists were only on the portrait for a few seconds before being removed. The gallery has since filed a police report, and there are no plans to remove the painting from display.
In the end, the incident serves as a reminder that while the intentions of animal advocates may be noble, resorting to vandalism is not the way to bring about change. Instead, it is essential to have open and honest discussions and work towards finding more humane ways to produce our food.
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