When you think of a crime that carries 10 years in prison, what comes to mind?
Something violent, no doubt. Assault. Kidnapping. Attempted murder.
What about giving water to someone who’s thirsty?
What happens when compassion becomes a crime?
Hi it's Emily from Bite Size Vegan and welcome to another vegan nugget. Anita Krajnc is the
co-founder of Toronto Pig Save, an activist organization that bears witness to animals
on their way to slaughter. I’ve personally attended one of their all day vigils and you
can see my account of their incredibly important work in this video, which is also linked below
along with my first interview with Anita on the founding of Toronto Pig Save.
Anita is now facing jail time for giving water to thirsty pigs, an act of compassion the
Pig Save activists carry out at every vigil, especially those in the dead heat of Summer.
On June 22nd, this past summer, we had our weekly vigils at Fearman’s Pork Inc. And
the trucks, before they enter the slaughterhouse they stop at a set of lights, and what we
do is we go up to the trucks and peer in and what we witnessed were, was a really sad and
heartbreaking sight. The pigs were heavily panting, foaming at the mouth, and clearly
suffering from the heat and from thirst.
[heavy, labored panting]
And, so I said, “let’s give ‘em some water” and I started giving water and then
the driver jumped out of the cab and shouted, “Don’t give them water!”
Anita: If they are thirty... Jesus sad "if they are thirsty, give them water."
Driver: No, you know what, these are not humans, you dumb frickin' broad!
The confrontation continued, with Anita asking the driver to show some compassion and the
driver calling the police and threatening to knock the bottle of water out of her hand.
I have a link to a video of the entire incident in the description below.
And that was the end of it, but about two months afterwards, a Toronto officer came
to my home and issued me a summons charging me with criminal mischief. And I was really
surprised. I go, “What does it relate to?” And he told me the date and I said, “Oh,
well I know that date because I did a video, come in and let me show you the video.”
And so, I showed him the video and you know he said, “You know I’m supposed to be
neutral, I can’t really say anything but this is probably gonna to be in the news.”
Reporter: Anita Krajnc stopped to give water pigs that were inside the back of a truck.
Reporter: And Anita Krajnc joins us now in our downtown studio.
Reporter: It involves an animal rights activist and what she did while a truckload of pigs
were being transported to a processing plant.
Anita: And if you're there, it's impossible not to try and help them. If your'e standing
on that traffic island with me, and you saw them frothing at the mouth, and literally
dying of heat and dehydration, you would be giving water.
Formally charge with Criminal Mischief, defined as “interference with the use, enjoyment
and operation of property,” Anita originally faced 10 years and a $5,000 fine. After a
pre-trial court hearing on December 15th, it was reduced to 6 months and a fine. After
that hearing, Anita released a statement, which she read to me when we spoke.
I look forward to defending myself against these ridiculous charges. Compassion is not
a crime. What I did was absolutely the right thing to do. Giving water to a thirsty animal
is something any caring and reasonable person would do, without a moment's notice pause.
Giving water to the thirsty is a duty we all share, and is recognized universally as such
in all religions and philosophies as a form of the Golden Rule.
It was obvious the pigs were suffering from heat and thirst in the transport truck headed
to Fearman's Pork Inc. slaughterhouse this summer. When I or other members of Toronto
Pig Save see suffering animals at our weekly vigils, we show them compassion the best we
can. We will continue to bear witness and give water to thirsty pigs.
I am grateful to the outpouring of support, love, and solidarity I've received over this
outrageous charge and from the wise and thoughtful guidance from my counsel Gary Grill and James
Silver [both vegan lawyers] On the positive side, the media
attention generated has allowed for the average person to think of the equivalence of poor,
suffering pigs trapped in transport trucks in the extreme heat as no different than the
horror of dogs stuck in vehicles on hot days. I am charged with interfering with property
- the property being the pigs. Giving water to thirsty pigs is not interfering with ‘property.'
Pigs are not property. They are individual sentient beings with feelings and they want
to live and protect their wellbeing just like anybody else.
Anita’s case has garnered worldwide attention, with an overwhelming reception on social media.
And not just from vegan animal activists.
And what was interesting is my vegan Facebook friends said that their non-vegan friends
were posting a petitions and videos. So it was really getting out there in a great
way. It’s an issue that has reached the hearts, you know, the conscience of all people,
which is, which is wonderful. So, it’s sort of crossed over this divide that we traditionally
have between vegans and non-vegans.
And, you know, what I like about it is that they’re thinking about pigs, you know, a
farmed animal. They can, they understand that if someone is thirsty, that the right thing
to do is to give them water. And it’s a universal principle that’s recognized in
all religions. It’s a universal principle and it’s written on our hearts and it’s
written in our conscience. So it’s something that is common to all and it’s what love
is. It’s just the definition of love and compassion.
I asked Anita to comment on the concerns arguments from the other side, such as interference
with the food supply. She broke down their arguments and offered compelling rebuttals,
shocking revelations, and a powerful view of the ultimate outcome.
For more information and hard proof of everything Anita mentions, please see the blog post for
this video, linked in the description below.
Right, so one of the arguments that they’re coming up with are: “don’t touch my stuff,”
you know, the pigs being property, in their eyes – factory farmers; and also, “how
do we know what’s in the water?” If that’s the best they can come up with, if that’s
their most compelling argument, there isn’t much there.
You know, people give sandwiches to homeless people and you don’t assume that they’re
poisoned. It’s quite the, it’s the compassionate thing to do. We don’t want to live in a
world where no one is giving water to thirsty, the thirsty and food to the hungry.
You know, if anyone is tampering with the food supply, it’s the factory farmers. Okay,
one – they are, they are the ones tampering with the food chain. They’re introducing
super bugs, MRSA super bugs.
Two, the World Health Organization listed bacon, pork, and ham as a Group-1 carcinogen
along with asbestos, diesel fuel, and tobacco.
Three, the factory farmer who’s charging me, Van Boekel, actually poisoned the water
with the manure and was criminally charged and was gonna be sentenced to 30 days in jail
and several hundred thousand then he appealed, but he did plead guilty to the Ontario Water
Resources Act, violating that act, and then he was -- his fine was a few hundred thousand.
And then, four, we’re giving water to pigs that are literally dying of heat and thirst.
And we have, you know reports, Freedom of Information reports that show “Dead on Arrivals.”
And then, fifth, this issue of property is gonna be one of the main outcomes. Like, animals
are not property anymore like we’re like the public views are changing with respect
to pets. Like most people see them as family members. And now this case is an opening to
challenge that notion for farmed animals. I mean that’s the story you know we’ve
gotta get out there.
You know, the sixth point, the most, maybe the most beautiful point of all like, it’s
just like, we know what’s right. Let’s listen to what’s written in our conscience
and on our hearts and that is the Golden Rule. And, you know, living a life of service and
ministering. Maybe that’s the ultimate conclusion, you know, animals are not property, but that
is the biggest, number six.
That’s the biggest conclusion is that this is this is universal ethics that’s written
in our hearts and our conscience and we know what’s right. And in the end of the day,
it’s gonna prevail. It prevailed for slaves, it prevailed for women, and it’s going to
prevail for animals. I mean, that’s the ultimate -- that’s the biggest and that’s
how it ends, you know, like boom.
Anita’s passion is palpable and it’s changing hearts and minds on a global scale. Activists
in Argentina and Portugal demonstrated in her name outside of their Canadian embassies.
The cry “Compassion is Not A Crime” has resonated worldwide.
To see the actions of Toronto Pig Save from the pigs’ perspective, see this video here.
With a Freedom-of-Information-Act-obtained “Dead Hog Loss” report showing 83 pigs
dead on arrival over a 9 day period, factory farms introducing superbugs like MRSA into
the food chain, the WHO finding processed meats like pig products to be carcinogenic,
and the farmer accusing Anita having himself plead guilty to polluting the water supply,
it’s no wonder people are waking up.
The criminalization of activism is, unfortunately, not new. In the United States the Animal Enterprise
Terrorism Act allows virtually any form of animal activism to be prosecuted as an act
of terrorism. For more information on this absurdity, see the video linked here and below
in the description.
There are many ways you can support Anita and the Save Movement. Consider donating to
Toronto Pig Save, starting your own save group (there’s a link below with guidance on how),
purchasing a Compassion is Not A Crime shirt, signing the petition linked below, and sharing
this video and Anita’s story everywhere you can.
It’s time for a change. It’s time to expose the real crimes and the real criminals. As
Anita said, what’s right will prevail. And that’s how it ends.
Please share this video far and wide to get Anita’s message out and do give it a thumbs-up
if you were moved by her story. If you’re new to my channel, I’d love to have you
as a subscriber. I put out fresh content covering all aspects of veganism every Monday, Wednesday
and some Fridays. To help support Bite Size Vegan’s educational efforts, please see
the support links below or click on the Nugget Army icon or the link in the sidebar. Now
go live vegan, show compassion, and I’ll see you soon.
We love you so much and we're trying our best.
[heavy, labored panting]