“I have never witnessed such horrors, whereby those inflicting the pain & abuse, actually enjoy seeing the poor animals suffer! The crowds including children join in by cheering & laughing whilst the poor bulls are slowly slaughtered, or should I say executed; in front of an audience taking pictures & baying for blood! To end the barbaric cruelty of Australian Livestock, please help to stop Live Export by following the links at the bottom of this post.”
Background briefing. Stories of horrific abuse & torture; captured on video at Gaza!!
TORTURE OF AUSTRALIAN CATTLE IN GAZA
Animals Australia has lodged a significant legal complaint with the Department of Agriculture supported by extensive evidence showing the brutal torture and slaughter of Australian cattle in Gaza in October 2013. Locations and dates of these incidents were verified by translators and contacts in Israel.
The footage was filmed and uploaded to YouTube by civilians. Dozens of individual videos discovered by Animals Australia show the sadistic treatment, torture and slaughter of Australian cattle on the streets and in abattoirs in the Gaza Strip during the Eid al Adha (Festival of Sacrifice).
ORIGIN OF ANIMALS
The cattle in the videos have been identified as Australian through their ear tags which are of a type, size and shape that is unique to Australian exporters to Israel, as well as through the presence of NLIS (National Livestock Identification Scheme) RFID tags. Also, a number of ear tags directly correlated with ear tags of Australian cattle arriving in Israel in June 2013 aboard the livestock vessel Bader 3, which is operated by Australian exporter Livestock Shipping Services.
CIVILIAN INJURIES
On an equally serious note, the government reported 125 injuries to people, some critical, during these brutal slaughter practices on the streets of the Gaza Strip. Media reports also relay the concerns of Gazan citizens about the human health risks of blood, bones and skins being left in the streets after what they call the ‘indiscriminate’ and uncontrolled street slaughter of sacrificial animals.
THE EVIDENCE
The videos depict Australian cattle:
- being beaten and dragged by ropes off trucks without unloading ramps;
- being dragged, man-handled and chased along streets to slaughter locations;
- tethered to street poles, tree trunks and trucks and having their legs bound before being forced to the ground and ‘strung out’ for slaughter;
- having their necks stabbed at and slashed to weaken them through blood loss;
- being stabbed in the eyes;
- having their necks ‘sawn’ at with blunt knives;
- being forcefully kicked, pushed/pulled/tripped to the ground using a series of ropes;
- brutally slaughtered by being repeatedly stabbed at and having their necks slashed;
- being strangled by neck ropes whilst ‘bleeding out’; and
- ‘knee-capped’ with an assault rifle.
AUSTRALIAN LIVE EXPORT REGULATIONS
In 2011, the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) was implemented in response to overwhelming community concerns about the treatment of Australian exported animals. ESCAS placed legal responsibility for the welfare of Australian exported animals on exporters and required animals to be retained within approved supply chains that met base level international welfare standards.
The sale and slaughter of animals outside approved supply chains in Gaza represents a major breach of these regulations.
The major Australian exporter into Israel and Palestine is Livestock Shipping Services (LSS), whose parent company is the large Jordanian livestock import/export company, Hijazi & Ghosheh.
LSS is the exporter implicated for live export breaches in Jordan and Lebanon in June 2013 and October 2013. These cases currently under investigation involve the sale and slaughter of Australian sheep outside of approved supply chains, which in October resulted in horrendous street slaughter.
INTERNATIONAL ACTION
Animals Australia is currently working with UK based Compassion in World Farming, the world’s leading farm animal welfare organisation, on an action plan to address welfare issues in the Middle East, including lobbying religious leaders, political representatives, and the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) towards the introduction of animal protection laws. Evidence gathered will also be used to lobby European and South American live exporting countries towards transitioning to a carcass only trade. Animals Australia has also assisted in the drafting of animal protection laws in Jordan which are currently before the Minister of Agriculture.
Case 1 – 102 Cuts
This bull suffered no less than 102 cuts to his throat. His death, and that of many others during the 2013 Festival of Sacrifice, was filmed and shared on-line. The tags in this bull’s ears were distinctly Australian. But he died halfway around the world, in a makeshift slaughter room in Gaza.
With his legs bound and his body outstretched, the bull was helpless as a slaughterman clumsily cut at his throat with a blunt knife. The terrified animal was conscious throughout the prolonged and agonising ordeal, thrashing his head, blinking constantly and looking up at his tormentors as his throat was sawn open.
Australian regulations failed to prevent the suffering of this animal, and others like him.
Case 2 – Stabbed in the eye
This bull was chased by a mob through the back alleys of Gaza. When he wouldn’t move, he was whipped, punched and had his tail painfully twisted. In a terrified frenzy, he stampeded through the alleyways, with dozens of men fleeing in front of him. When he slipped and fell on the concrete, he was kicked — to force him back to his feet.
This animal constantly struggled as they tied him to a wall, bound his legs and pulled them out from under him. One man stood on his face and pushed a knife into his eye, while another began to cut at his throat. As the bull bellowed, they sawed at his neck with a blunt knife for almost a minute until his bellows became muted, as he choked on his own blood and died a slow and agonising death.
Case 3 – Target Practice
As this bull stood in a fenced off area, a short distance away, a man took aim with his assault rifle. But he wasn’t shooting to kill the bull quickly — he was aiming to ‘knee cap’ him.
A shot rang out, and the bull stumbled to regain his footing, limping away from his shooter. Again, the man took aim and fired. The bull nearly collapsed, but pulled himself up and again limped further away. One more shot rang out, as the bull staggered back, struggling to put weight on his injured legs.
The end fate of this animal and his eventual slaughter was not filmed. In the one and a half minutes of vision filmed by an onlooker, the bull was shot three times.
Case 4 – Beaten, Stabbed
With a crowd surrounding the truck, this Australian bull was repeatedly whipped, until, in a frenzy, he leapt from the back of the vehicle. As he flailed about and thrashed his head desperately against the tight rope around his neck, the mob shouted and chased him back.
When he slipped and fell on the gutter, a slaughterman approached and stabbed him in the neck. He clambered back to his feet and continued to struggle, but the rope around his neck meant his efforts were in vain.
Pulled up against a pole, he was violently stabbed again. With the taut rope still choking him, and blood flowing from his neck, he slumped to the ground.
Case 5 – Wide-Eyed Terror
This animal was tied to a tree. His front legs were bound together. His eyes widened in terror as a young man began to saw at his neck. Still conscious and blinking, he could do nothing but stand on his hind legs, with the weight of his body bearing down on the gaping wound in his neck. He died in a gutter, on the streets of Gaza.
Case 6 – Slipping In Blood
On a slaughter room floor, tied to a pole, this bull cowered from the slaughterman attempting to kill him.
The slaughterman thrust the knife into his neck. As the animal recoiled he slipped in his own blood. Each time he fell, he scrambled back to his feet, pulling frantically against his rope.
After almost a full minute of failed attempts to scramble from the slaughterman, he fell for a final time, too weak from blood loss to get back to his feet. As he landed on the blood soaked tiles, slaughtermen sprayed water into the wounds on his neck. He was not the only Australian animal to suffer and die in this room.
Case 7 – Vocalising In Pain
This bull’s agonised bellowing, during his ordeal, conveyed his terror far beyond what any words could describe.
For almost two minutes after the first cut to his neck, this animal kept fighting. With each approach of the slaughterman he ducked his head or reared up, trying to avoid the knife stabbing at this neck. On at least a dozen approaches, the slaughterman thrust the knife in and cut deeper, and each time the bull vocalised in pain.
Finally, with blood streaming from his wounds, with one man pulling on his tail, three more pulling on a rope around his neck, and surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, he collapsed and died.
Case 8 – Hit, Kicked, Shoved
As this bull lay in the gutter, his neck half-severed, a stream of blood flowed down the road towards him — seemingly from another dying animal. Mixing with his own blood, the red rivulet flowed under and around him, filling the gutter where he lay.
Moments earlier, he had struggled to remain standing, as two men kicked and shoved him, trying to knock him over. When he had fallen and his throat was sawn open, young boys ran up to kick and hit the helpless animal.
The brutality he and other animals endured wasn’t necessary. It had nothing to do with religion. In fact, when these tragic videos were uploaded to YouTube, the suffering was condemned by Muslim commenter’s. It wasn’t ‘halal’. It was the tragic outcome of a live export industry that had failed to protect them.
Case 9 – Hit In The Face, Dragged From A Truck
This bull stood huddled together with two others on the back of a truck. With all his strength he resisted as a crew of men heaved on the rope around his neck. Even after being hit in the face with a broomstick, he continued to resist.
Moments later, as he lay dying on the slaughter room floor, the slaughterman paused, whilst cutting into his throat, to pose for a photo.
Case 10 – Stomped On
This animal’s death was crude and painful. Before reaching the slaughter room he had fallen heavily from a truck and was stomped on. The slaughterman thrust his knife into the animal’s neck, leaving a gaping hole. He then continued to thrust the knife deeper into the wound, un-phased by the suffering he was inflicting on the bull. With his neck agape, the bull clambered to his feet, pulling in vain against the rope around his head. When he collapsed for a final time it was clear that only his eventual death would bring an end to this animal’s suffering.
Case 11 – Hosed With Water
Already wounded from a stab to the neck, this bull let out a meek bellow as the slaughterman cut into him again. When he had fallen to the ground, the slaughtermen began spraying him with water. As he lay bleeding on the floor, they continued to hose him.
When water sprayed into his wounds he shook his head, trying to avoid it. Clearly weak from blood loss, when the next bull was slaughtered, virtually on top of him, he was too weak to react.
Case 12 – Half-Severed Neck
With his head strung up to a post and his front legs bound, this white bull kicked hopelessly at the air, while they slashed his throat. The crowd around him cheered and whistled as he suffered this agonising slaughter.
Even once his throat was cut, there was no end to his suffering. He was forced to hang there, his head pulled upward and the weight of his upper body stretching his half-severed neck wide open. Only his impending death could bring him relief from his suffering.
10 More Cases Documented – All depicting shocking cruelty. Crowds of people including children, cheered & laughed whilst bulls were tormented & abused; before they had their throats slit whilst still conscious !
To Read Each Individual Case Along With Supporting Video Evidence:–http://banliveexport.com/gaza-files OR Watch clips of all the video evidence on the YouTube video below:-
WARNING:No words adequately describe the carnage in this video and the scale of abuse endured by Australian cattle. While we have edited this video to make it easier to watch, it is still shocking and harrowing to watch.
Viewer Discretion Strongly Advised
Published on 11 Dec 2013
Filmed by civilians during the Festival of Sacrifice in October 2013, this footage shows cattle being terrorised by crowds and tortured in streets and makeshift slaughterhouses — all in breach of Australia’s live export regulations.
Most Australian politicians precondition their support of live export on animals being treated ‘humanely’ and in accordance with regulations. That is why Animals Australia has provided each MP and Senator with this evidence of abuse, and implored them to watch it. They are in the position to ensure that this never occurs again, and that those responsible for this cruelty are called to account.
You can help ensure Australia’s politicians see this evidence. (Choose your way of contacting your MP) Your political representative exists to serve you — and in four simple steps we’ll help you get this critical evidence into their hands.:-http://banliveexport.com/gaza-files
Tell your senators to Ban Live Export!:-http://www.banliveexport.com/features/senators.php (Sorry, this form is only for Australian residents.)
For people living outside of Australia, you can still take action! Click here to use our international action page.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
IN 5 MINUTES OR LESS:
- Share this campaign with friends on Facebook,Twitter, or just tell someone.
- Tell your MP. Click here to shoot them an instant message online. Follow up with a phonecall.
- Tell the Prime Minister what you think. Send an instant message here.
- Be prepared to rally. Click here to sign up for SMS alerts from Animals Australia.
- Make a donation to help fund Animals Australia’s next live export investigation.
News Link:-http://banliveexport.com/gaza-files
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE 