Seeing red over animal cruelty

MAKING HER POINT Tourmakeady’s Jacqueline Joyce protested against animal cruelty in Pamplona.

Tourmakeady native Jacqueline Joyce talks about protesting with animal-rights organisation PETA

Ciara Galvin

As reported last week, Tourmakeady native Jacqueline Joyce took part in a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protest against the infamous bull run in Pamplona, Spain, recently.
The former Ballinrobe Community School student has been living in London for 13 years, and the recent protest in Pamplona was her third with the animal-rights organisation.
The latest PETA protest, run in conjunction with Spanish group AnimaNaturalis, saw Jacqueline and a group of activists bare almost all, don devil horns and pour fake blood on themselves to form a dramatic protest against the annual Running of the Bulls. Both organisations say the event involves cruel treatment, including beating, of the animals during the bull fight that follows the run.
Earlier this year, the restaurant worker took part in her first protest during London fashion week.
“I was actually looking for ways in which I could get involved with animal rights and animal liberation, so I was totally up for it when my friend put PETA in touch with me.”
After taking part in two of their demonstrations, PETA then asked the 29 year old if she would like to go to Pamplona to take part in the bull-run demonstration.
She didn’t hesitate. “At this point I love working with the girls at PETA, they are all so passionate and hard working and I always meet amazing people,” she says.
Jacqueline’s actions in Pamplona, garnered both national and international attention.
What has the feedback been like? “After the demonstration I was so surprised at how supportive people were about it. Pretty much everyone agreed with the points raised by PETA. On social media you always expect people to be negative or to at least play devil’s advocate, but it was all very positive,” says the passionate protestor.
Asked if PETA’s approach to demonstrations are ‘extreme’, Jacqueline said they have to be.
“I mean the way that animals are treated is extreme. The other week I posted a video on my Facebook exposing the truth of what happens to the bulls after the bull run, and after a few hours YouTube removed the footage because it was too violent and gory … yet it’s legal?”
Jacqueline adds that PETA uses striking visual images to ‘stir something in people, make it stay in their heads, and also connecting it to us humans’.
“And obviously the nudity draws attention and makes people look,” says Jacqueline, who protested topless, smeared with fake blood, as part of the protest.
Speaking about the recent failed bill to make hare coursing illegal in Ireland, the animal rights protestor said she thinks it’s great that it is something people are challenging now.
“Any animals used like that in sport is just barbaric in this day and age.”
And what is the one animal rights issue that really needs to change?
“I would say that the one animal rights issue that really needs to change – and this is because of people’s health, the planet and the environment – it would have to be the amount of meat people are consuming. Animal agriculture is destroying the planet at ridiculous rate, so it has to stop,” said the vegan, adding that if anyone wanted to learn more about the environmental impact of the meat industry, they should watch the documentary ‘Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret’.