PETA brings vegan cheese challenge to downtown Mobile
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — PETA was in downtown Mobile on Wednesday to encourage people to eat dairy-free, vegan cheese.
And, in typical PETA fashion, the event featured an eye-catching display.
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The animal rights organization used the Greek myth of Sisyphus, who was condemned to roll a stone up a mountain, only for it to roll back down each time, according to legend.
PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — brought its own version of Sisyphus to the Port City: a woman dressed in 1 million B.C.-inspired loincloths to push a giant vegan cheese wheel uphill at Dauphin and Joachim Streets.
The idea is to push everyone to go vegan in 2024.
Those who attended the event received a complimentary dairy-free, vegan cheese from Babybel, which produces various cheese products.
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“PETA’s display will remind everyone that kicking cruel and unhealthy dairy cheese to the curb is not a Sisyphean task,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a news release.
PETA said it’s investigated dairy facilities where workers electroshocked cows in the face, hit them with poles and a cane, and abused them in other ways. Once cows’ bodies were worn down from repeated pregnancies, they were slaughtered, according to one of their investigations.
Mobile was the latest stop for their Sisyphus event, which the group also presented in Nashville and Tennessee.
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Who is Sisyphus?
There are several stories behind the Greek myth of Sisyphus.
Ultimately, he was punished by Zeus after chaining Death while in the underworld, which led to nobody dying for a period, according to Britannica.
Zeus forced Sisyphus to roll a stone up a mountain just for it to roll back down each time he neared the top, according to legend.
The term Sisyphean means denoting or relating to a task that can never be completed.
Who is PETA?
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, founded in 1980, is believed to be the world’s largest animal rights organization.
“PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally,” its website states.
“PETA operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way,” the site states.
The organization often makes headlines for its protests, which have included supporters wearing fake blood and body paint to convey the toxic impacts of various industries.
Another common protest method is to appear naked in public, wearing just a strategically placed sign that says, “We’d rather go naked than wear fur.”
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