A large inflatable “barn” sprang up in Polk Place on Tuesday morning, with the promise of free food and the message, “What they never told you” posted above the entrance.
Students enticed to enter the tent were met with graphic images and information about the process of meat production, courtesy of peta2, the youth-centered division of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
The event was organized earlier this year by the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, a student organization at UNC dedicated to informing students, faculty and staff about animal law.
“We wanted to keep factory farming in the mind of students,” said law student Zach Ferguson, president of the group. “It’s important to remind students that this is widespread, and it’s not going away.”
The “Glass Walls” exhibit is designed to reveal the treatment of animals during factory farming and make students consider converting to vegetarianism or veganism.
The exhibit also offered students a chance to view the documentary, “Glass Walls,” a 7-minute video narrated by Paul McCartney about the suffering animals go through in the meat industry.
Ryan Huling, manager of college campaigns and outreach for PETA, explained that the chairs available for watching the video are surrounded by chicken wire walls so students can feel what animals feel when subjected to confinement.
Students were also invited to sit in a gestation crate the size of those used on factory farms — too small to turn around in.
At the exit of the display, there were peta2 volunteers waiting with handouts, vegetarian starter kits and free samples of vegan food.
