Activists claim discrimination as bus firm bans Veganuary adverts
VEGANUARY adverts have been banned by a major UK bus operator, as an animal rights campaign group have criticised the “discriminatory” decision.
Transport company Arriva pulled two posters, which encouraged people to try a vegan plant-based diet throughout January, from the side of their buses in Shropshire after “numerous complaints from the general public”.
The adverts claimed that cows are “distressed when their babies are taken away from them” and that “most male calves are shot at birth”.
The campaign group Veganuary, which has a local branch in Shropshire, paid for two separate adverts to appear on 20 buses over one month, starting from Dec 9. But it was notified on Friday that the posters would be pulled after just two weeks.
The move follows controversy earlier this year, after Steve Charmley, a local councillor, said the adverts should be removed because of the county’s agricultural history.
Vegan campaigner Jo Reff, 49, from Shrewsbury, told The Sunday Telegraph: “I feel distraught. We spent so much time and effort fundraising for these posters. We want to increase awareness of the vegan cause. To find them offensive is just not acknowledging the truth.
“We want to highlight that this is very discriminatory against vegans. If we complained to Arriva that we found turkey pictures on the side of a bus, they wouldn’t listen to us.
“We don’t know who complained
‘If we complained to Arriva that we found turkey pictures on the side of a bus, they wouldn’t listen to us’
and Arriva will not elaborate. But it is likely to be the farming community.”
Arriva’s decision to recall the posters in Shropshire comes after regulators pulled a “misleading” advert by animal rights group Peta from the side of buses in November. The advert read: “Don’t let them pull the wool over your eyes.
Wool is just as cruel as fur. Go wool-free this winter,” attracting 10 complaints.
A spokesman for Arriva confirmed that the Veganuary adverts had been pulled, adding: “Advertising on our buses is managed by a third-party company where an approval process is in place.
“A customer complaint brought it to our attention that our agreed sign-off process with this third party had not been followed on this occasion.
“Arriva is and continues to be impartial and the decision to remove these adverts does not relate to the content, but was taken as the agreed procedure was not adhered to.
“We have taken steps to review our approval process with the third party and are working with them closely on this matter.”
Scientists this week warned people who try Veganuary should take care not to become deficient in vitamin B12.