An animal rights demonstration was held outside The Guildhall in Cambridge City Centre on Sunday (08/09) to “educate the public” about the dairy industry.

The event was organised by the activist group Speciesism WTF, an organisation founded in 2023 that uses creative art installations to protest the exploitation of animals.

The installation included a line of “milked women” accompanied by an activist dressed as “the farmer” who addressed onlookers.

The protest aimed to encourage onlookers “to question their ethics on the property status of nonhuman animals” and to challenge them “to extend their empathy to the non-human world”.

Stephanie Lane, founder of Speciesism WTF, stated: “Most humans naturally will have more empathy for their own species, so by using humans in the art demo it is so powerful because it paves the way for connecting the next dot of compassion towards non-humans.”

Speciesism is a term used to describe the idea that one species is more important than another and should have more rights. It often refers to the belief that human beings are superior to other animals.

The exhibit in Cambridge was part of a series of similar events that have already been held throughout the country, including in London, Bristol, and Brighton.

It comes after the recent increase in attention on the animal agricultural industry, particularly as a result of the exposure of flaws in the RSPCA Assured scheme which was facilitating systemic abuse and exploitation on farms that had received assurance by the RSPCA.

Speciesism WTF claims that using visually challenging demonstrations is the best way to engage the public in the issue of animal exploitation. They claim this aims to inspire critical thinking amongst the public and encourage them to take action to help prevent systemic exploitation.

The installation in Cambridge encouraged viewers to consider switching to plant-based milk. According to Louise James, the Event Organiser, the event was “incredibly successful” and led to “a number of people promising to never purchase dairy ever again”.