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Death of Regan Russell

Coordinates: 43°22′44.4″N 79°45′56.3″W / 43.379000°N 79.765639°W / 43.379000; -79.765639
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Death of Regan Russell
DateJune 19, 2020
Time10:22 a.m.[1] (EDT; UTC−04:00)
LocationBurlington, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates43°22′44.4″N 79°45′56.3″W / 43.379000°N 79.765639°W / 43.379000; -79.765639
TypeTraffic fatality
PerpetratorAndrew Blake[2]
ConvictionsCareless driving causing death[2]
SentenceCA$2000 fine
12 months' probation[2]

On June 19, 2020, 65-year-old Canadian animal rights activist and protester Regan Russell was run over and killed by a livestock transport truck after a demonstration outside Sofina Foods Inc. subsidiary Fearman's Pork Inc., a pig slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario. The driver of the truck was convicted of careless driving causing death.[2]

Background

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Regan Russell
Russell protesting outside Fearman's Pork slaughterhouse in November 2019, metres from where she would eventually be fatally run over by a pig transporter.
Born
Regan Lydia Russell[3]

(1955-04-06)April 6, 1955[3]
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
DiedJune 19, 2020(2020-06-19) (aged 65)
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
OccupationAnimal rights activist
Years active1979–2020
AwardsDr. Jean Rumny Award (2020; posthumously awarded)

Russell, a woman from Hamilton, Ontario, began to campaign for animal rights when she was 24 years old, with her first protest against seal culling taking place outside a government building in Winnipeg. In 1985, she read Animal Liberation: A New Ethics for Our Treatment of Animals and became a vegan. Russell was also an advocate for Black Lives Matter and women's rights.[4] Filmed in 2012 while protesting against Marineland, Russell said, "People say we’re breaking the law by storming. How do you think women got the right? How do you think slavery was abolished? People stood up and broke the laws—because they're stupid laws."[5] Russell was a member of Toronto Pig Save, a branch of the animal rights organization Animal Save Movement, which frequently organised demonstrations outside Canada's oldest pig slaughterhouse, Fearman's Pork Inc. in Burlington, a subsidiary of Sofina Foods Inc., owned by Michael Latifi.[6] These demonstrations involved activists standing in front of the entrance to the premises, requesting a truck driver transporting pigs to the slaughterhouse to wait outside the entrance for two minutes and filming themselves giving water to the slaughter-bound pigs through holes in the trailer.[5][7] On June 18, 2020, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario granted royal assent to a bill known as the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act.[8] A section of the bill, which would come into effect in September of the same year, would illegalize interference with animal transport without the consent of the transport truck drivers.[9]

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Still from surveillance footage of the transport truck approaching where Russell was standing at the entrance of the slaughterhouse premises, approximately one second before she was run over.

In the morning of June 19, 2020, Russell and six other activists from Toronto Pig Save held a pig-watering demonstration outside Fearman's Pork slaughterhouse. The entrance of the premises is located southeast of the intersection of South Service Road and Harvester Road in Burlington. One truck carrying pigs approached the premises at 10:17 a.m., stopping in the inner lane of the roadway on Harvester Road, southwest of the intersection, just before the right turn onto the premises. At 10:19, four of the activists walked from where they were standing in front of the entrance to where the truck had stopped and began watering the pigs in the trailer. At this point, the truck driver called 911 and was advised by the operator to stay in the truck and not move.[10] At 10:21, two of the other activists walked to the trailer while Russell walked in the other direction and stepped onto the nearest sidewalk to allow a supply truck onto the premises. The activists finished watering the pigs less than a minute later, at which point the truck began to make the right turn into the driveway. Russell stepped back into the driveway and stood in the truck's path, making a peace sign with her hand to the driver. The truck proceeded to drive through the entrance at a speed of about 20.5 km/h (12.7 mph), running over Russell and killing her instantly, and dragging her body several yards as a security guard gestured for the driver to stop.[1]

After an investigation, Andrew Blake was charged with the Highway Traffic Act offence of careless driving causing death, with authorities stating there was no indication of intent or crime in his action.[11][12] In March 2023, he pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 12 months' probation—the conditions of which restricted his permission to operate a vehicle—and ordered to pay a CA$2000 fine.[2]

Aftermath

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Animal rights activists from around the world dedicated actions to Russell's memory such as die-ins outside the High Commission of Canada in London, England,[13] a sit-in outside a slaughterhouse in Atena Lucana, Italy,[14] a march and rally requesting for justice for Russell in downtown Toronto,[15] and a food distribution in Mumbai, India.[16] A demonstration in California was attended by Joaquin Phoenix, who later joined other animal rights activists in a protest outside Fearman's Pork slaughterhouse.[17] Speaking of Russell, Phoenix said, "While her tragic death has brought upon deep sorrow in the Animal Save community, we will honour her memory by vigorously confronting the cruelties she fought so hard to prevent by marching with Black Lives, protecting Indigenous rights, fighting for LGBTQ equality, and living a compassionate vegan life."[18] On July 30, 2020, a pig-watering demonstration outside Fearman's Pork slaughterhouse was interrupted by counter-protesters, who tried to prevent the activists from giving water to pigs and held signs with derogatory references to Russell.[19] Russell's death also became an issue in the protests and counter protests in Niagara-on-the-Lake about the use of horse-drawn carriages.[20]

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals's Hamilton/Burlington branch posthumously awarded Russell the Dr. Jean Rumny Award for commitment and dedication to animals.[21] Activist Varun Virlan released a short film about Russell titled Killed For Compassion, which was shown at the 2020 International Vegan Film Festival.[22] Shaun Monson, director of Earthlings, released a documentary about Russell titled There Was a Killing.[23]

In March 2021, advocacy group Animal Justice sued the Ontario government over the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act.[24] In June 2022, Russell's widower filed a lawsuit against the truck driver and the companies involved in the incident.[25]

In November 2023, footage of the incident recorded by a surveillance camera at Fearman's Pork slaughterhouse was publicly released.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Surveillance video and 911 calls from the scene of animal activist Regan Russell's tragic death, archived from the original on November 12, 2023, retrieved November 12, 2023
  2. ^ a b c d e "Trucker pleads guilty to careless driving in 2020 death of activist outside pig slaughterhouse". Toronto. March 27, 2023. Archived from the original on November 12, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Regan Russell Obituary (2021)". Legacy.com. The Hamilton Spectator. June 19, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Craggs, Samantha (June 26, 2020). "'My life ended' Friday: Regan Russell's supporters want justice, Bill 156 overturned". CBC. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Animal Rights Activist Regan Russell Killed at Pig Vigil". YouTube. December 11, 2020. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  6. ^ "Sofina buys Canada's oldest pork operation". Food In Canada. April 11, 2012. Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  7. ^ "There Was a Killing (Film)". YouTube. November 7, 2020. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  8. ^ "Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  9. ^ "Bill prohibiting animal rights activists from interfering with livestock transport now law". clintonnewsrecord. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  10. ^ Donovan, Kevin (November 4, 2023). "Police 911 operator told truck to stay put, just before animal rights protester killed. But it never came up in court". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on November 12, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  11. ^ Rosella, Louie (July 20, 2020). "'Outrage': Truck driver charged in incident at Burlington slaughterhouse that left animal rights protester dead". InsideHalton.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  12. ^ "Media Release". Halton Police. July 20, 2020. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  13. ^ Christian, Carlos (June 26, 2020). "Animal rights activists block traffic by gluing themselves to road outside London's Canadian Embassy". The Union Journal. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  14. ^ Sorrentino, Pasquale (July 2, 2020). "Sit in di protesta pacifico degli attivisti al macello di Atena Lucana, in memoria di Regan Russel". Giornal del Cliento (in Italian). Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  15. ^ "Family of animal rights activist Regan Russell calls for a provincial inquest". CBC. July 18, 2020. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021.
  16. ^ V., Manju (July 27, 2020). "Mumbai animal rights activists carry out food distribution drive in Boisar". The Times of India. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  17. ^ "Joaquin Phoenix joined animal rights activists outside Burlington slaughterhouse | CBC News". CBC. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  18. ^ Furdyk, Brent (June 27, 2020). "Joaquin Phoenix Attends Vigil Honouring Canadian Animal Rights Activist Who Died Giving Water To Pigs Outside Slaughterhouse". Entertainment Today. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020.
  19. ^ "Animal rights advocates, counter-protesters clash at slaughterhouse where activist died | CBC News". CBC. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  20. ^ Singh, Satbir (August 24, 2020). "'Hateful rhetoric': Regan Russell's family issues statement in response to Locals for Carriages". Welland Tribune. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  21. ^ Pecar, Steve (September 15, 2020). "Posthumus honour for animal activist killed in Burlington". In Halton. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  22. ^ Virlan, Varun (2020). "REGAN RUSSELL - Killed For Compassion". International Vegan Film Festival. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  23. ^ "Earthlings Filmmaker Releases New Documentary About Slain Vegan Activist Regan Russell". VegNews.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  24. ^ "Animal activists launch constitutional challenge against Ontario over farming law | CBC News". CBC. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  25. ^ Casey, Liam (June 27, 2022). "Husband of Ontario animal activist killed during protest files $5M lawsuit". CBC News. Burlington: The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
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