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The 2016 Veggie Pride Parade: “Give Peas a Chance!”

April 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment


The News

Some participants marched in fruit and vegetable costumes; others carried posters promoting animal liberation. But their messages to the public were consistent: “Animals are not food.”

On April 3rd, animal advocates took to the streets of Greenwich Village for the 9th annual Veggie Pride Parade, attempting to awaken their fellow New Yorkers to the plight of animals exploited for food and the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet. Curious onlookers fumbled for their smart phones to document the unique and unexpected parade and to take selfies with a giant pea pod.

Racial, ethnic and socio-economic diversity at the Veggie Pride parade.

Racial, ethnic and socio-economic diversity at the Veggie Pride parade.

The parade began in the “Meatpacking District,” a neighborhood that was once dominated by commercial butcher shops. Today, those businesses, which have been priced out of the trendy neighborhood, have been replaced by restaurants that, of course, serve meat (for now).

Parade onlooker wearing Canada Goose coat with fur trim expressed excitement about seeing the parade.

Parade onlooker wearing Canada Goose fur coat expressed excitement about seeing the parade.

When the parade spilled into Union Square, where it ended, organizer Pamela Rice staged a spirited rally, and parade participants indulged in vegan fare sold by local restaurants and food companies.

Veggie Pride Parade Organizer Pamela Rice

Veggie Pride Parade Organizer Pamela Rice