Mercy for the Slaughtered

Pigs are trucked into Farmer John in two- storey stainless steel vehicles with no food or water. Activists stop the trucks by flagging them down outside the slaughterhouse, usually accompanied by a police presence. A 2016 legal decision found in favor of three activists who fought minor infractions they gained while giving the pigs water. This reaffirmed the vigils as protected first amendment free speech, and vigils tend to be peaceful and cooperative. Vernon, CA Photo by Ruth Iorio March 13 2017

Jo McGuinness comforts Michelle Hill at a vigil for pigs held outside Farmer John, a slaughterhouse in Vernon, CA. Michelle recently became vegan and reconnected with Jo over social media - this is her first time at a vigil. March 22nd 2017 photo by Ruth Iorio

Jenny Rad, a 28 year old hairdresser from Marina del Rey, reaches into the truck heading into Farmer John, a slaughterhouse in Vernon, CA, to stroke a pig destined for slaughter on June 12 2017 photo by Ruth Iorio

Heidi Menze, holding her daughter, Alexis (5) on her back, watches as a truck pulls in through the gate of Farmer John, a slaughterhouse in Vernon, CA, carrying pigs destined for slaughter on April 30 2017 photo by Ruth Iorio

Pigs sit quietly on the two storey metal truck taking them in through the gates of Farmer John, a meatpacking facility in the city of Vernon, Los Angeles, CA. Activists claim that the pigs receive no food or water during their journey, which may take several days from farm to slaughterhouse. March 22nd 2017 Photo by Ruth Iorio

Cindy Melendez (25) strives to feed a thirsty pig before the truck enters Farmer John, a slaughterhouse in the city of Vernon, CA. The trucks stop for three minutes only to allow activists to give water to the pigs, in an agreement reached with the police who attend each vigil. Sunday, April 23 2017 Photo by Ruth Iorio

By the time the pigs arrive at the slaughterhouse they may have been traveling for several days without food or water, and they accept the water activists give them thirstily. Vernon, CA photo by Ruth Iorio April 23 2017.

A vegan activist's hand grips onto the metal sides of the truck carrying live pigs through the gates of Farmer John, a slaughterhouse in the city of Vernon, Los Angeles, CA. March 13th 2017 Photo by Ruth Iorio

Christina Sewell, a senior campaigner for PETA, cries silently as the trucks containing pigs destined for slaughter drive slowly in through the gates of Farmer John, a slaughterhouse in Vernon, CA on March 13 2017.

Every Sunday night a dedicated group of vegan activists gather outside a gaudily painted factory depicting fat, happy pigs rolling around in meadows while clown-like farmers wearing overalls trip over wheelbarrows and tractors trying to catch these naughty animals. Above these painted walls, ominous smoke billows from chimneys and a thick, feral smell lingers. 

Clutching signs, water bottles, cameras, LED lights and iPhones, the activists greet each other with affection, though their faces show trepidation: it will be a long night ahead. Within minutes of their arrival, a Vernon PD car drives up and parks, lights on. Corporal Anthony Encinas exits his car, walks over to Amy Jean Davis, the head of the Los Angeles branch of the ‘Save’ movement. They exchange quick words with a smile. He then retreats to his car, leaning against the hood, and observing the activists silently. 

It's estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 pigs are trucked into Farmer John on a daily basis, and for the past year Los Angeles, Animal Save has vigilantly ‘held witness’ outside the gates of the slaughterhouse, stopping trucks in order to feed pigs who will shortly be killed, their last drop of water. 

Amy Jean Davis, a former contestant on ‘American Idol’, explains why the activists continue to show up for the pigs week after week, sometimes staying outside the gates until 3 am. “The emotional toll is there, but it is totally outweighed by my sense of obligation to bear witness. To look in the eyes of someone you can’t save is sad, but the idea that no one ever showed up for them...the idea that slaughterhouses remain places where none of the humans that are there are for the animals...that thought is a far greater tragedy.” 

The first truck arrives, and Corporal Encinas stirs. It’s his role tonight to ensure that some trucks stop and that no activists get crushed beneath the wheels of the three-tier metal vehicles. As the truck rolls to a stop, the activists rush forward and water the thirsty pigs, who receive no food or water on their journey to the slaughterhouse. No flash or strobes are permitted: they are deemed too distressing to the already disoriented animals. The animals are lit only by flashlights and the eerie glow of an iPhone screen. 

The activists live-stream the vigil to their social media pages, hoping to alert more people to the horrors of the meat industry, and convince more people to adopt a vegan lifestyle. Davis believes “a vegan world will exist someday. And the stark majority will view unnecessary suffering as intolerable. The majority of humans will view sentient beings as having rights to their own safety and their own lives. The idea of hurting someone just for pleasure will be as horrific to everyone as it is for the vegans of today.”