Viva! supports Manchester Pig Save’s final vigil

After seven and a half years of bearing witness, Pilgrim’s UK is finally closing its slaughterhouse in Ashton in July.

Manchester Pig Save, the first of the Save Movement’s vigils in the UK, was founded by activists Andrew and John. Andrew returned to this vigil on its final day.

The estimated number of pigs slaughtered at this abattoir sits at around 10 million, with thousands of pigs entering these gates but never coming out each day.

Pigs are typically killed at five months of age – that’s around two per cent of their potential 20-year lifespan. Viva! have launched many pig investigations since founding in 1994 and have campaigned tirelessly for the rights of these beautiful animals.

Photos from the very first Manchester Pig Save in 2016

I joined the final vigil, laying flowers and lighting candles to remember the estimated 10 million pigs who have been slaughtered here over the years.

At the vigil, the organisers Aaron and Silva where incredible at ensuring everyone felt comfortable and supported, from the veteran vigil-goers to the first-timers. They showcased the best of humanity, whilst such horror awaited the pigs beyond the gates. Once I had introduced myself and helped them set up, I was taken down one side of the slaughterhouse, down a public footpath.

Had you not known there was a slaughterhouse there, you may have also been one of the passers-by out walking their dogs, going for a run or taking their children to school. The juxtaposition of a beautiful river to the right of us, surrounded by tall trees and singing birds high up in the sky, with the slaughterhouse to our left, left me almost too shocked for words.

Something photos and videos cannot ever explain is the smell. As you walk down this picturesque path, you are greeted with a stench of animal faeces. A small break in the trees revealed a regularly visited spot, where activists have previously padlocked chains to the fences, decorating these with images of pigs and writing messages such as ‘We are trying’ and ‘So you call yourself an animal lover?’.

Pilgrim’s UK prides itself in being “Britain’s biggest higher welfare pig farmer”. The reality, however, tells a different story.

An undercover investigation filmed in their Ashton slaughterhouse by Joey Carbstrong in January 2021, shone light on the horrific and heartbreaking reality for these animals. He found that these pigs were pushed into cages, then lowered into gas chambers, from where they could be heard screaming, writhing in pain and struggling to breathe.

A shocking 88 per cent of UK pigs are stunned using CO₂ gassing machines.

Pigs are one of the most intelligent species on earth, smarter sometimes than dogs, primates, dolphins and even human toddlers. Mothers sing to their babies, and newborn piglets can recognise the sound of their mothers’ calls.

We welcome dogs into our homes, loving and caring for them, whilst protecting them from harm, however, the practise of transporting an animal who is of a different shape to a slaughterhouse remains legal.

On Tuesday, the animal rights movement celebrated a win – closing down a slaughterhouse is no small feat.

I spoke with Manchester Pig Save’s founder Andrew about how he felt: “When I co-founded the group, I had the goal of shutting down this slaughterhouse in my lifetime. We have done it within a decade! We have won this battle, but there is more injustice to stop! We will never quit until all animals are free from exploitation.”

Viva! have investigated multiple pig farms over the years, successfully closing Calvesley Farm (suppliers to Morrisons), prosecuting Flat House Farm and releasing our Netflix documentary, Hogwood: a modern horror story.

We will continue to showcase the cruelty that animals suffer within the animal agriculture industry until all are free.

We hope that in bearing witness to these pigs today and showing the tragic reality for these beautiful beings, we can one day end the farming of these animals, forever.