Tuesday (27 June) marked the final vigil at Pilgrim's in Dukinfield by animal rights activists, ahead of the abattoir's announced closure.
Manchester Pig Save (MPS) have been staging peaceful campaigns at the slaughterhouse for some seven and-a-half years.
MPS say they aim to open people’s eyes to the ‘unnecessary suffering and death that is all around us’, which they describe as ‘all too often unnoticed’.
The group hold peaceful vigils outside abattoirs in an attempt to grow awareness about animal rights.
A spokesperson for the movement said: “We publicly show compassion to the most vulnerable and abused members of our society, the so called ‘food animals’.
“Coming face to face with the victims of the animal exploiting industries has a huge impact on our choices and our attitude towards these sentient beings who are mostly hidden from public view.
“Bearing witness to their suffering shows us that these animals feel in the same way that we do. They feel fear, happiness, love and sadness.”
In an official statement the MPS community shared that more than 10 million pigs have been killed at Pilgrim’s site.
Campaign organiser by Arun Patel explained: “We’re here at Pilgrims to remember the more than 10 million pigs that have died here.
“Each pig is an individual, with a personality and we’re here to remember their lives.
“Wherever you see injustice, its incumbent to stand up and raise awareness, so whether that’s civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights or animal rights.
“This year 70 billion land animals will be killed and that is more animals killed in one year by humans than humans have been on this planet.
“So this place closing doesn’t change that figure, but we will keep doing what we’re doing."
Another campaigner Sharmila Gupta said: “It’s history today. I’ve never known a slaughterhouse shut down - it’s just wonderful when something as vile as this shuts down.
“I know there are definitely benefits to a vegan diet.
“Red meat has been proven to be carcinogenic by both Oxford and Harvard, and these aren’t vegan people doing that research they’re scientists.
“All the antibiotics that go in, all the blood, all the contamination – if people came to a slaughter house and saw how their meat was sourced, they’d go off it immediately.
“Apart from the cruelty aspect, there’s the hygiene aspect; the antibiotics and steroids pumped into the animals is unhealthy. It’s bad for you. Any extra medication in your system is bad for you, so why is something which has that much medication within it normalised?”
News that Pilgrim plan to close their ‘Ashton’ site - actually located on Bow Street, Dukinfield - was announced in May.
There have been appeals from local MPs and councillors for the company to reconsider its decision, with more than 540 jobs at risk.
The company says it plans to transfer the existing operations in Dukinfield to its facilities in Spalding, Westerleigh and Bromborough “in order to continue to optimise the business’ operational footprint”.
The firm cited major challenges facing the UK pork market for its decision.
Dukinfield councillor Jackie Lane described the decision as ‘devastating’ for the local workforce.
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