London, animal rights activists attack new portrait of King Charles

Not even a month old, but already the portrait of Charles III of England, the first official painting depicting the British ruler by Jonathan Yeo, which was unveiled last May 17, has been attacked by eco-activists. Yesterday, two activists from the group Animal Rising went to the Philip Mould Gallery in London, where the work is on display until June 21, and stuck two stickers on it with glue, one with the face of the popular character Wallace from the animated series Wallace and Gromit, and another a comic strip that has him saying, “No cheese, Gromit. Look at all the cruelty on RSPCA farms.”

The group’s controversy is against the RSPCA, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), which is pursuing a program aimed at setting standards for livestock farming in the United Kingdom. A herd that obtains the RSPCA label is officially considered a business that follows high quality standards. However, animal rights activists have criticized the RSPCA’s “Assured Scheme” (the criteria scheme for obtaining certification), since in their view the criteria for determining passing inspections would not be clear.

“We cannot tolerate illegal activities of any kind,” the RSPCA said in a note following the raid by the two activists. “Our staff and volunteers work hard to rescue, care for and speak up for animals. Animal Rising activity distracts us from the work that really matters: helping thousands of animals every day.” According to the RSPCA, the scheme is “the best way to help farm animals right now as we work to change their lives in the future.” The statement also says that “concerns about welfare on RSPCA Assured certified farms are taken extremely seriously and RSPCA Assured is acting quickly to investigate these allegations.”

Activist Daniel Juniper, one of the two involved in the action said, “Since King Charles is a big fan of Wallace and Gromit, we couldn’t think of a better way to draw his attention to the horrific scenes on RSPCA Assured farms! Although we hope this will amuse His Majesty, we urge him to seriously reconsider being associated with the terrible suffering on RSPCA-supported farms. Charles has made it clear that he is sensitive to the suffering of animals on UK farms; now is the perfect time for him to come forward and ask the RSPCA to abandon the Assured Scheme and tell the truth about animal farming.”

The work is reportedly unaffected.

London, animal rights activists attack new portrait of King Charles

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.