The south end of Cornmarket was taken over by a radical animal rights protest today.
The group, Anonymous for the Voiceless, gathered back-to-back on Cornmarket, outside the McDonald’s fast food restaurant.
The protesters, who wore signature ‘Guy Fawkes’ masks, played videos of animal cruelty on their tablets and laptops. The footage included livestock slaughter, batch fishing, and the milking of cows. They were momentarily interrupted by a fire engine passing through Cornmarket.
The back-to-back protest was nicknamed a ‘cube of truth’ by organisers. The Oxford branch is one of 29 UK based ‘cubes’ expected to rally today for the cause of animal rights.
Though the protest took place outside McDonald’s, organisers denied that it was aimed at the fast food chain alone. They aimed to persuade passersby to swear off meat and dairy products.
Veteran animal rights activist, ‘Jane’, told Cherwell: “It is important to bring awareness to more people who don’t realise the cruelty included in meat and dairy production. The idea of humane killing is a total myth.
“Everyone has a responsibility to know what they’re buying. You’re paying murderers.”
‘Maze’, one of the ‘cube of truth’ organisers, said: “Today is the fifth of November, and we’re using anonymous masks in cubes of truth all over the world at the same time.
“This all comes from an international non-profit organisation started in Australia, Anonymous for the Voiceless.”
Today’s protest was the second ‘cube of truth’ attended by an Oxford Brookes University student, who chose to remain anonymous. He told Cherwell: “It’s a really good way to reach people because we’re not going up to people. They have to show the interest first.”
