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Animal rights activist protests opening of Sprouts Farmers Market over poultry practices

Posted at 9:23 AM, Apr 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-03 12:58:35-04

Sprouts Farmers Market representatives are firing back after a teenage girl protesting the grocery chain’s poultry sourcing practices poured fake blood outside the new store location in San Luis Obispo.

The incident happened Wednesday morning during the store’s grand opening ceremony.

Zoe Rosenberg and a couple of other activists from the group Direct Action Everywhere (DAE) performed a demonstration in which Rosenberg poured fake blood on herself and on the sidewalk outside the store. The activist said the red liquid represented the “blood spilled by Sprouts.”

DAE representatives tell KSBY Rosenberg’s demonstration aims to shine a light on alleged cruelty to chickens in facilities where Sprouts sources its poultry.

Zoe Rosenberg is covered in fake blood after protesting the opening of Sprouts Farmers Market in San Luis Obispo. (KSBY photo)

 

Rosenberg is known for carrying out other animal rights demonstrations locally, including one at the Cal Poly meat processing center.

Chief operating officer of Sprouts Farmers Market, Dan Sanders, told KSBY the grocery store is committed to sustainable food sourcing.

“It’s unfortunate that [the demonstration] marred the ribbon cutting, but it happens,” Sanders said.

Sanders refers customers to the Sprouts website to learn more about the store’s practices.

The San Luis Obispo Sprouts Farmers Market location is one of nine set to open across the United States in the second quarter of 2019.