Vegan Protesters Block Downtown Melbourne In Coordinated Action Across Australia

Vegan protesters brought the central business district in Melbourne, Australia, to a halt for two and a half hours on Monday morning. In Queensland, activists broke into a slaughterhouse and negotiated the release of three sheep.

The protests were part of a coordinated action intended to promote veganism and bring attention to conditions at Australia's factory farms.

In Melbourne, "activists chained themselves to three Thrifty rental vans in the middle of the intersection, causing traffic chaos and affecting 11 tram lines. It also forced ambulances to take different routes to five major hospitals," The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Protesters also linked arms before the city's Sea Life aquarium.

Protesters held signs that said "You have been lied to," as well as the URL for the documentary Dominion, which aims to "expose the dark underbelly" of Australia's factory farms and slaughterhouses.

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