Residents rally, march in commemoration of World Vegan Day

Animal rights, environmental protection and personal health were three of several reasons residents marched at the Boston Common on Sunday in honor of World Vegan Day, which is coming up this Wednesday.

Organizers Laura Ray, a Boston-based animal rights activist, and Kyle Ferguson, co-founder of the animal rights group The Light Movement, kicked off the rally by addressing the nearly 100 people gathered around the Brewer Fountain in the Common.

Ray said he appreciated the group’s ability to unify around a single cause.

“We have fun at all the demonstrations because you’re surrounded by like-minded people and how often does that happen?” Ray said. “That you’re surrounded by so many vegans?”

Ferguson then started the march with a shout met by cheering and applause from the crowd.

“Let’s shake the streets of Boston, change the world and abolish the animal agriculture industry forever,” Ferguson shouted.

Participants carried signs bearing slogans like “The Only Happy Meal Is a Vegan One!” and “There’s No Excuse for Animal Abuse,” while raising chants like “Humane slaughter is a lie, animals do not want to die,” and “Torture, death and exploitation, profits for a corporation.”

This was the second march hosted by The Light Movement, following a well-attended animal rights rally in July, Ferguson said.

Ferguson wrote beforehand the rally organizers hoped to motivate non-vegans and vegans alike to take action against the animal agriculture industry. He said he wanted people to know more about the issues of the industry, and eventually become activists.

Ferguson wrote the ultimate goal of the event was to inspire people to be mindful of the effects their food choices have on animals and the environment.

“We would ask people to live a more compassionate, cruelty-free, environmentally friendly lifestyle,” Ferguson wrote.

Though not present at the rally, several Boston-based vegan and vegetarian group representatives emphasized the importance of this display of plant-based diet culture.

Evelyn Kimber, president of the Boston Vegetarian Society, said one reason people stop eating animal products is simply due to the compassion they feel for animals.

“Certainly we want to view ourselves as a compassionate society but the treatment of animals and the raising of animals for food, meat, dairy, fish and eggs cause enormous suffering and violence towards our fellow creatures,” Kimber said.

Kimber also cited the negative environmental impact of the animal agriculture industry as one of the primary reasons to go vegetarian or vegan. She said problems such as pollution, deforestation, energy waste and climate change could be solved with people switching to a plant-based diet.

Kimber said the switch to veganism is not as difficult as many think.

“Many of the foods we already enjoy are vegan and you’ll just continue eating them and appreciating them as plant-based foods,” Kimber said. “When cooking, often a simple substitution of one or two ingredients can change a meat dish to a vegan dish.”

Adrian Guinn, grassroots coordinator of The Humane League, said veganism isn’t as expensive and difficult to practice as it’s often made out to be.

“Most people like to think it’s quite an expensive thing but you can go to pretty much any major grocery store now and get everything you need,” Guinn said. “It’s always super cheap and there’re so many great brands out there of meat alternatives, awesome things to try and there’s enough now on the market that you can try things out and find out what works best for you.”

Guinn said grassroots events like Sunday’s march are an important way to both raise awareness for animal rights and bring the vegan community together.

“These [rallies] are extremely important because we want to get out there and bring our movement to the mainstream and let people know what we’re all about,” Guinn said. “But also, importantly, as a movement, we need to make sure people are coming together and feeling included.”

Several residents at the rally spoke on their reasons for attending the march and for going vegan in the first place.

Linnea Rose, 26, of Brighton, said her passion for animal rights led her to go vegan and become a voice for voiceless animals.

“The animals don’t have a say in whether they’re slaughtered and put on our plates and that’s where compassion really begins,” Rose said. “Not a lot of people think about that. Not everyone knows about it and if they know about it, then some of them turn a blind eye.”

Philip Trembley, 32, of Allston, said since he went vegan two years ago, he’s viewed it as the primary way to bring about positive change in the world.

“Veganism is imperative to making any sort of change whatsoever regarding the environment, social justice, rights for animals, rights for the oppressed and bettering our collective health as humans,” Trembley said.

Lisa Maxfield, 54, of South Portland, Maine, said she attended the march because she wanted to spread the word about animal rights and convince others to join the vegan movement.

“We want to continue to bring attention and light to this movement,” Maxfield said. “Like this sign says, the future is vegan. It’s now. We need to make the change now.”