You may have noticed people dressed as “Grim Reapers” today in downtown Monmouth around the noon hour on Wednesday, May 13th holding scythes with the message “Slaughterhouses Kill Animals and Workers.” The two were condemning the local Smithfield plant, saying the company is showing no mercy for animals or workers by reopening, despite there being multiple COVID-19 cases among employees.
PETA President Ingrid Newkirk says as COVID-19 spreads from worker to worker, PETA is calling for all slaughterhouses to shut down and stay closed, for everyone’s protection. Last month, PETA sent Smithfield a letter offering to help with the cost of retraining its employees to produce exclusively vegan meat.