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Skegness abattoir controversy attracts fascists

East Midlands Anti-fascists | 30.08.2012 18:23 | Animal Liberation | Anti-racism

Recent proposals to reopen an abattoir in Skegness have attracted local opposition, with a facebook group and online petition set up. The Heath Road abattoir closed down in January after it ran into financial difficulties , and the proposed re-opening has generated opposition because slaughter methods used there would be halal. Although the initial opposition was not overly linked to the far-right, fascists have been quick to take an interest in the issue, with the BNP’s Lincolnshire Coastal branch adopting it as their main campaigning theme. Other groups have been sniffing around the issue as well, and it’s certain that none would have criticised the abattoir reopening if it were to be staffed by “indigenous” knifemen.


Ritual slaughter for halal is becoming an important focus for the far-right, with the BNP in particular targeting it; they recently held a (piss-poorly attended) national picket of a branch of Subway in Sunderland which sells halal meat. They aim to portray their opposition to halal on the grounds of animal welfare, but unsurprisingly this rings rather hollow on investigation; there is no opposition from the fascists to factory farming in general, nor is there any indication of what they consider acceptable practice in a slaughterhouse might look like – the latest fundraising dinner of the Lincolnshire Coastal BNP featured Lincolnshire sausage, presumably obtained from consenting pigs who died quietly in their sleep, or something…..

The halal meat issue is (of course!) more complex than it is painted by the BNP. It is often argued by muslims that slaughter without pre-stunning (which is the central issue giving grounds to accusations of cruelty) is actually less distressful for the poor animal than the conventional methods of stunning – although almost every animal welfare organisation disagrees, and what scientific evidence there is suggests that stunning is less traumatic. For what it’s worth, this writer would guess that pre-stunning is indeed “less cruel”, but hopefully I’ll never know for sure.

However, it is important to note that, contrary to general impression, halal rules do permit the pre-stunning of animals, as long as the stunning itself does not kill the animal. It is also important to note that there are several interpretations of halal rules in practice – for example, there are differences about which methods of stunning are acceptable. The RSPCA cites an estimate, from the Meat Hygiene Service, that around 90% of UK halal-slaughtered animals are in fact pre-stunned – in other words, from a welfare standpoint, they are treated much the same as the majority of animals killed in non-ritual abattoirs. (The majority killed for kosher consumption are also pre-stunned, incidentally).

The BNP are yet again displaying their opportunism in portraying halal as “truly barbaric” and “un-British”, whilst showing no analysis of its complexities, nor any campaign on factory farming in general. Their failure to mention kosher slaughter, which is very similar to halal in most practical aspects, also shows their expediency – it’s not considered strategic to be overtly anti-semitic at the moment. A more progressive strategy for ensuring animal welfare in halal and kosher is not hard to imagine, perhaps involving campaigning for universal application of stunning to all ritual slaughter, for example. Of course many would argue that a slaughterhouse can never be “humane”….and non-halal abattoirs are certainly not exempt from shocking breaches of welfare standards.

The key point here is that any worthwhile campaign on animal welfare must be careful to deprive the far-right of another opportunity to demonise British muslims. The BNP and other fascist hangers-on will be unable to make political capital out of the Skegness abattoir controversy if they are opposed, and we hope that – yet again – they will be shown for the two-faced opportunists that they are.

East Midlands Anti-fascists
- Homepage: http://emaf.noblogs.org/post/2012/08/30/skegness-abattoir-controversy-attracts-fascists/

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halal or not it shouldn't re-open

30.08.2012 19:00

whether its halal or not it shouldn't be reopened - meat is murder in my mind at the end of the day. if it does reopen, which it probably will, with luck the alf will burn it down the ground

vegan

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rspca/animal aid/viva

30.08.2012 23:00

Rspca statement ritual slaughter is barbaric.ani aid seceret vid of ritual slaughter on there site watching it makes u feel ill. Viva have a leaflet which is disturbing.. You sound like you have an agenda if the bnp want to protest against it good luck to them.

facts

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carnivores

30.08.2012 23:46

and nazis protesting against animal cruelty? They really are fucking dim.

V/

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adolf banned vivisection

31.08.2012 00:02

The bnp policy has always been ban viv/hal al thats what sticks in your liberal leftie mid class throat.

adolf

How, why, therefore.

31.08.2012 07:42

The fascists don't care about the animals, they care about what the public thinks and feels about muslims.

Some of muslims, christians, jews, and other doctrine users have mammals (et al) killed for them in certain ways because God told them to do it. At least that is what they read in their instruction books.

People eat meat, mostly they would be ok if they did not. They arrange the killing one way or another.
There comes a point where people choose to be what they are.

redorange, green, orange, red.

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bnp trolls piss off!

31.08.2012 09:26

no surprise that this has attracted bnp trols, both facts and adolf (well, yeah!) miss the point totally which is that whether or not halal is cruel the fascists won't be allowed to use it as a bandwagon. And as the article says halal is 90% stunned, so equivalent to other abbatoirs anyway. If the bnp care so much about animals why don't they campaign against all abbatoirs?

whateva

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thin edge of the wedge

31.08.2012 10:26

10% ? then 30. Then 60 etc only a matter of time. if the green party was protesting outside you would be supporting them.

harsh realty

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ar/ anti racists

31.08.2012 10:56

So the ar movement is now with the anti racist groups. Well thats it for me i wont be doing any stalls or demos anymore.

had enough

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@had enough

31.08.2012 11:39

Good. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

troll destruction

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subway

31.08.2012 11:48

At least they are doing something. Animal rights people defending subway shops and now hal al killing factories your no friends of animals your true agenda is now out. Your about as much animal lovers as as filth that work in em.

subway

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an animal

31.08.2012 12:43

12 Cuts non stuning on average. Animal is faced south to mecca. And they even put out out anti ar leaflets!. animal rights are a joke these days. All for muslims nowdays.

choice

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real ar

31.08.2012 15:18

These ar people who are with anti racist groups are not ar people but infiltrators who are spliting animal rights. Animal rights os anti ritual slaughter.

real ar

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indymedia support hal al

31.08.2012 15:42

Indymedia pro ritual slaughter..animal rights boycotte indymedia let every group know by e.mail.

indymedia support hal al

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Hypothetically

31.08.2012 17:12

Could we not have an abattoir/processing plant for fascists ;)

slaughterhouse

keep out

31.08.2012 21:52

Anti racists keep out of ar issues.

aruk

@aruk

31.08.2012 23:41

You sad sack, really.

anti-troll

Keep out indeed

01.09.2012 12:37

Keep the fash out of ar! And anywhere else! BNP - beyond the pale!

davy

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how can any animal

02.09.2012 18:26

Lover support subway and hal al

animals

2-3

02.09.2012 21:34

Animal rights invoved in keeping open a subway shop and a meat killing factory.

own goal

@own goal

02.09.2012 23:50

You're pretty rubbish at this aren't you?

joe

@joe

03.09.2012 00:11

Contact keith mann alf leader. Tell him anti racists. Are protecting subway and hal al meat factories.. Now drop dead joe we dont entertain mid class anarchists.

aruk

@"aruk"

03.09.2012 11:17

Keith mann alf leader pmsl, you fascists haven't a clue.

Joe

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gavin medd hall

03.09.2012 12:11

8 Years shac ar. Friend of bnp leader nick griffin

bnp shac

plenty ar people

03.09.2012 20:41

Are in or have been jailed to say ar people are with anti facists to protect subay is disguting.

ex ar prisoner

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