Animal activists took to the streets in Beijing on Friday to protest the annual Yulin dog meat festival, which is slated to be held on June 21. Last week, roughly 30 demonstrators gathered outside of the Yulin government office in the capital and submitted a petition to end the controversial festival, Southern China Morning Post reports.
The festival is held in Guangxi Province each year as a means to celebrate summer solstice by serving up dog meat and strong lychee liquor. It is estimated that up to 10,000 animals are slaughtered for the annual event, and concerns over animal cruelty have caused local and international animal rights groups to intervene.
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The Humane Society International, VShine and Beijing Mothers Against Animal Cruelty were behind last week’s protest of the now-infamous festival. Together the groups issued a petition, which was reportedly signed by over 11 million people, to authorities during the demonstration.
In order to make a statement, protesters also brought their own dogs along with them and waved signs reading ‘I am not your dinner’ and ‘Shame on Yulin.'
On June 7, attempts were made by animal rights groups to issue the same petition to the Chinese Embassy in London. However, their efforts were ignored.
While the petition in Beijing was accepted by the Yulin government office, it remains to be seen if it will have any impact on this year’s festival.
[Images via AP]
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