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<\/a>Friends and family yesterday joined Animal Save Movement in condemning the Halton Regional Police Service for bringing charges of\u00a0Careless Driving Causing Death<\/a>\u00a0against the driver of a pig transport truck in the June 19 death of Regan Russell.<\/p>\nRussell was attending a special Toronto Pig Save vigil to protest Ontario\u2019s passage of the unconstitutional \u201cag-gag\u201d Bill 156 just two days prior, and had been giving water to dehydrated pigs on one of the hottest days of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cLosing Regan has been a terrible experience, and the lax charge in response to her death has only made that pain deeper,\u201d said Joshua Powell, Russell\u2019s stepson. \u201cGrief is now compounded by anger, frustration, and confusion. We will be taking the time we need to reflect on this information. Our family is committed to revealing the truth in Regan\u2019s death, and will be pursuing all avenues before us that work to that end.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese charges are feeble and do not amount to justice for Regan. Enough is enough \u2013 how many more lives will be lost at the hands of Sofina and Fearmans before they agree to a safety policy?\u201d said Anita Krajnc, co-founder of Animal Save Movement. \u201cThey\u2019ve rejected these calls far too long and have Regan\u2019s blood on their hands \u2013 we will not rest until Bill 156 is repealed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Animal Save Movement demands the release of video footage obtained by police that show the incident, so that it can be independently reviewed.<\/p>\n
Russell, 65, was a\u00a0pioneer of Canada\u2019s animal rights movement\u00a0and had peacefully campaigned on behalf of animals for more than 40 years. On June 19th an unnamed 28-year-old male drove a pig transport truck into Russell outside Sofina\u2019s Fearmans slaughterhouse in Burlington.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s charges must be upgraded to reflect the death of a kind and gentle soul who did no wrong,\u201d said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. \u201cRegan Russell spent her last moments on Earth showing kindness to animals, and everyone can honor her memory by going vegan.\u201d<\/p>\n
History<\/strong><\/p>\n On June 19, Russell was participating in a peaceful vigil outside Sofina-owned Fearmans slaughterhouse when she was struck and violently killed by a pig transport truck. Earlier at the Toronto Pig Save vigil she had been providing water to pigs on a scorching-hot day, along with six other activists.<\/p>\n Regan was standing at the slaughterhouse entrance when the driver unexpectedly accelerated, turning in Russell\u2019s direction and ending her life. This took place two days after \u201cag-gag\u201d legislation in the form of Bill 156 was approved by the Ontario government, following months of extensive lobbying by meat, dairy, egg, and other animal industries..<\/p>\n There\u2019s a long history of reckless driving from truckers. Toronto Pig Save called for safety protocols to be implemented after vigil attendees were nearly hit by trucks on a number of occasions and launched a Change.org petition demanding a safety agreement (\u201cMichael Latifi [owner of Sofina\u2019s Fearmans pig slaughterhouse]: Stop endangering activists! Negotiate a safety agreement at Fearmans now!\u201d).<\/p>\n Animal Save Movement demands that the Ontario government immediately repeal Bill 156, and replace it with a Regan Bill of Animal Rights that\u00a0would protect the rights of protestors to demonstrate safely; defend whistleblowers, journalists, and others who document animal suffering; recognize the personhood of pigs and other animals; defund animal agriculture; and invest in plant-based food systems in Ontario.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" VegWorld Magazine Friends and family yesterday joined Animal Save Movement in condemning the Halton Regional Police Service for bringing charges of\u00a0Careless Driving Causing Death\u00a0against the driver of a pig transport truck in the June 19 death of Regan Russell. Russell was attending a special Toronto Pig Save vigil to protest Ontario\u2019s passage of the unconstitutional … <\/p>\n