August 31, 2024 was

the 10th World Day for the End of Speciesism!

Many animal rights groups around the world organized demonstrations to denounce speciesist discrimination and demand that the interests of animals be fully taken into account.

Please help us spread the word and rally more groups around the planet!

Events organized in 2024

Australia

Manly | 30.08 Protest by PETA Australia

Belgium

Online | 31.08 Reel by Help Animals | 31.08 Article by Bite Back België

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro | 01.09 Protest by Grito Animal Rj / G.A.RJ

Canada

| 31.08 Info booth by S.A.V.E. Udem
Brandon | 31.08 Outreach by Brandon Animal Save

Chile

Online | 31.08 Reel by Animal Libre

France

Annecy | 28.08 Protest by PETA France
Lyon | 27.08 Protest by PETA France
Nice | 31.08 Happening by One Voice

Germany

Neustrelitz | 31.08 Happening by Schweinehund e.V.

India

Ahmedabad | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Chandigarh | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Chicalim | 30.08 Great billboard by PETA India
Delhi | 30.08 Great billboard by PETA India
Gurgaon | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Guwahati | 30.08 Protest by PETA India
Hisar | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Hyderabad | 30.08 Great billboard by PETA India
Jaipur | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Kharagpur | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Kolkata | 30.08 Great billboard by PETA India
Lucknow | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Mahmudabad | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Nasik | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Pune | 30.08 Great billboard by PETA India
Rajkot | 31.08 Info booth by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Rohtak | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation
Sasaram | 31.08 Outreach by Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation

Indonesia

Bali | 01.09 Poster campaign by Animals Don't Speak Human
Yogyakarta | 31.08 Poster campaign by Animal Friends Jogja

Israel

Tel Aviv | 30.08 Outreach by Freedom For Animals | 30.08 Outreach by Nimrod

Mexico

Guadalajara | 31.08 Info booth by Animales y Praxis

Nigeria

Online | 31.08 Article by Africa Animal Media

Poland

Online | 31.08 Digital activism by Green Rev

Portugal

Coimbra | 31.08 Save Square by Coimbra Animal Save
Lisbon | 31.08 Outreach by Acção Directa

South Korea

Daegu | 31.08 Happening by 채식평화연대 Veg Peace NGO

United Kingdom

Online | 24.08 Article by PETA UK | 31.08 Article by The Vegan Society | 31.08 Digital activism by Viva! | 31.08 Digital activism by Peta UK

Reports of the previous editions

Find the reports of the previous editions in photos and videos on the dedicated page.

The media are talking about us, discover our press review.

Sexism, racism, speciesism: unjust ideologies

In our societies our relationship with animals is based on speciesism. By analogy with racism and sexism, speciesism refers to an ideology that considers the lives and interests of animals as insignificant just because they are of a different species. Speciesism is untenable because humans are not the only ones to feel emotions and therefore we have to respect the lives and interests of the other sentient beings who share this planet with us.

All sentient beings are equal

Regardless of the differences between species, it is clear that all sentient beings are equal in their capacity to feel pain. No matter what our 'race', sex, species may be, the important thing is what we feel, our interest in not suffering, in not being a victim of violence and in continuing to lead the happiest life possible. Discrimination based on species is just as arbitrary as any other discrimination based on an illogical criterion. Equality tainted by exclusions and arbitrary discrimination is by definition inequality, injustice.

Therefore all sentient beings, regardless of species, must be included within the circle of moral consideration. This does not mean treating them all in an identical way but really taking their interests into account as if they were our own.

Denying intelligence in order to neglect interests?

Our society does not disdain babies nor people with mental disabilities, although they appear to lack complex intellectual abilities, but grants them greater protection, and rightly so. Indeed, they also suffer, are unable to defend themselves and should therefore be protected. In the same way, regardless of their mental faculties, animals are sentient beings that have an interest in living the longest and happiest lives possible and should also be protected. In addition, more and more studies show that we have immensely underrated the mental capacity of most animals1.

Ethology: animals are individuals in their own right

Far from espousing the theory of animals-as-machines, modern ethologists invite us to see animals as individuals in their own right, feeling emotions, having preferences, desires and their own personality. We now know that self-awareness, culture, altruism and the ability to use tools exist in many animals.

Society must change

Injustices of the past have been abolished or reduced, such as feudality and the low status assigned to women. They too were so embedded in the collective consciousness that they were thought to be eternal. But history has shown the opposite and we can easily imagine that one day slaughterhouses will be deemed to be a symbol of barbarity. More and more of us are beginning to take a stand against injustice to animals, which has become one of the most important social debates of our time.

The goal of the World Day for the End of Speciesism is to denounce the unjust ideology that makes this barbarity possible.

We are working for a world that takes the lives and interests of all into consideration. This world is already on its way. Let's work together so that it arrives as soon as possible!


1 Recently the chimpanzee Ayumu shattered the idea that humans always have better mental abilities than other animals by beating humans in a test of memory: watch the video.