August 9, 2024 - Cover photo: Johannes with sign in front of slaughterhouse StaufenFleisch in Goeppingen
Four years ago, activists in Stuttgart reactivated their Save chapter and built a committed group of seven people, and began organizing several vigils a month, whatever the weather. Viola Kaiser and Sonja Böhm are two of the three organizers in Stuttgart.
“For me personally, every time I am at a vigil, it reminds me why I am vegan and why I want to continue being active for the animals,” Viola says. “Sometimes life is stressful, we all have our jobs and commitments, and you might forget about the animals - their suffering everywhere, and all around the world. But then when standing by the slaughterhouse, facing the animals and looking them in the eyes telling them how sorry you are for what’s happening to them; that’s the reason why I am active and why I am vegan.”
Both Sonja and Viola came to a point in life when they felt being vegan wasn’t enough and so they started to look around for different kinds of animal rights activism online.
Johannes, Sonja, Diana and Jutta.
“There had already been a chapter in Stuttgart, but it wasn’t active at that time. Sonja and I therefore decided to give it a new fresh start, and that’s how we both joined The Save Movement. Johannes became an organizer last year but has been an activist from the start.”
“We are a rather small core group that meets often and are very close. All of us know each other very well and feel we can rely on each and everyone in the group, which feels very good,” Sonja says.
They do vigils every second weekend and the first Friday morning of every month. Viola and Sonja are both working full time, but always prioritize time for vigils held in a place called Goppingen, a 40 minute drive from Stuttgart.
Viola documenting in front of slaughterhouse StaufenFleisch in Goeppingen. - Sonja at Demo against animal testing.
“We in the core group always join. It is very important for all of us. Then we have people that occasionally join, but often people come for a vigil and find it too overwhelming,” Viola says.
As organizers they try to support any new and occasional attendees. For both Sonja and Viola, vigils have an enormously strong impact.
“Bearing witness is just transformative. When people tell us that it is too hard for them, we understand. It is hard. Sonja and I explain that sometimes it is almost too hard for us as well. And other days are not as hard as others, all depending on how we feel, and the overall situation. But it is nothing in comparison to what the animals must go through and endure. We tell ourselves that we want to and have to be strong. And we want to keep doing it.”
For Sonja and Viola, the important thing is their commitment.
Viola at sanctuary Rinderglueck269.
“We are not giving up, we are going to continue holding our vigils, no matter if we are two people, ten or twenty. It doesn’t matter, as long as we show up for the animals, documenting their faces and their stories. What is most important to us is being with the animals the moment right before slaughter. And to document what’s happening to them and post it on social media.”
Recently one of their videos went viral on Tiktok with over five million clicks: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeVwGcua/
They have done several different outreach activities over the years including Save Squares, offering vegan food samples, and other organized events in the city.
“But we found that we are more powerful in doing vigils. That’s what we are good at and most experienced in,” Sonja says. “The most important to us is being in front of the slaughterhouse, to continue to be there."
During the four years they have been holding vigils, they have tried to reach out to the slaughterhouse and to some of the farmers who arrive with animals.
“Others have been indifferent to us and even laughed at us. But lately they have been more provoked by us”, Viola says. “We feel they are more threatened by us documenting the animals now, seeing the rising number of people standing up for animals.”
But even if it has become harder, they are not going to stop.
“For us it is heartbreaking to witness how the animals trust the farmers, all the way to the slaughterhouse, follow them right to death. They trust them and are being betrayed,” Viola says.
Bearing witness in front of slaughterhouse SlaufenFleisch in Goeppingen.
During a summer vigil two years ago, many pigs were unloaded from the trucks at the slaughterhouse at the same time. Suddenly, activists noticed a small pig that was walking around freely on the sidewalk, sniffing the scents around him.
“Our first thought was that we wanted to rescue him. But everything went so fast. This pig didn’t know us and was a little scared, even if he was curious. To me, the situation was really emotional. I wanted to rescue him but didn’t have a chance at all,” Viola says.
Before they could think straight or act on it, the farmer noticed that the pig was unattended and forced him back inside.
It was very heartbreaking for all of them, and they decided that they wanted to keep remembering him to represent all the thousands of pigs killed at that slaughterhouse every month. They gave him a name, Leopold, and ever since they always bring a huge sign with his photo, a little text, and a candle, to keep remembering him. He has become their symbol for all the victims.
Leopold.
Viola and Sonja want to reach as many as possible with their work. In a few weeks’ time they will be at a live radio show at a local radio station, talking about vigils, veganism, animals’ rights, and Animal Save Movement. They are marking their 100-vigil anniversary and want to highlight it and talk about what motivates them. Viola and Sonja also make time to go to other places for vigils, both in Germany and in other countries, supporting each other and to grow as a movement.
“What I like about The Save Movement is that we put the animals in the center of everything. It’s all about animals and ethics,” Viola says.
You can find out more about Stuttgart Animal Save on their Instagram and Facebook pages. To get involved, you can email them at stuttgartanimalsave@protonmail.com. To find a Save group near you, please visit our find a chapter page on our website.
Written by Anne Casparsson
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