French city axes vegan festival over security fears

LiLLe: A French city cancelled a planned vegan festival citing fears of public disorder, in a move organisers blamed on threats from “hunters and farmers”, as distrust of meat-free activism simmers in the traditionally carnivorous country.

The Calais mayor’s office said it was compelled to cancel the event, originally scheduled for Sept 8, to “guarantee public safety” and to protect organisers and visitors from a potential “risk of an outbreak”.

It said authorities had become aware of a “series of operations aimed at stirring up trouble and disrupting public order”, adding that the decision was not related to the theme of the event.

On their Facebook page, organisers said the mayor had made the decision “because the hunters and farmers have joined forces to make very clear threats about what would happen if the event went ahead”.

Veganism and vegetarianism are gaining popularity in France, where non-meat food options were once difficult to find on restaurant menus, while animal rights activism is increasingly visible in the media.

French butchers wrote to the interior minister in June asking for protection against violence and intimidation from vegan campaigners who “want to impose their lifestyle on the immense majority of people”. — AFP