Six months after their effort to shut down Cal Poly’s Meat Processing Center, activists will march again on Oct. 5. They hope hundreds will attend, and they say they don’t plan on stopping their campaign until the center shuts down.
At 16, Zoe Rosenberg is determined to save animals headed to slaughter. “I believe it is my moral responsibility to do everything in my power to save them and to change this world for them,” she said.
In April, she and a fellow activist were arrested after chaining themselves to a cattle chute on campus. No charges were filed against them.
Now they say the goal is to create an even larger presence and awareness.
“If we can show people what is happening, and make them connect with these animals as the individuals they are, I do believe the public will come out and support this campaign to shut down the slaughterhouse,” Rosenberg said.
The Meat Processing Center is part of Cal Poly’s Animal Science Department. It serves as a space for hands-on training for students in all stages of meat processing, from harvesting to packaging.
Student Kira Olson says the program is humane. “I think it’s a really good learning opportunity for people who are hesitant and just give it a shot, come watch, come learn, and learn the facts about what we actually do here,” Olson said.
Rosenberg’s only goal is to save those animals, which she says are the curriculum.
“I want to do this for the animals because I’ve rescued animals from this industry. I’ve taken animals into my arms out of factory farms and to freedom. I’ve seen what happens behind closed doors. I’ve seen what the industry is hiding. I’m not going to stop until the slaughterhouse is shut down.”
Following the march, campaign leaders plan to attend Cal Poly board meetings and protest at games, all in an attempt to shut down the center.
