UC Berkeley’s dining hall system, Cal Dining, is actively purchasing meat and other animal products from factory farms that have been exposed for extreme animal cruelty, worker abuse, and enviromental pollution.

Tyson Foods is perhaps the most disturbing company that Cal Dining works with. Tyson Foods has been investigated by numerous animal rights organizations, including our student group. Time and time again, they’ve been found abusing chickens by crowding them together in filthy conditions, denying them veterinary care, mutilating them with no anesthesia, throwing them in the trash alive, and so much more. Tyson is also ranked 5th in terms of most workers injured on the job and a civil rights complaint was filed against them in 2020. They’re the #1 water polluter in agribusiness, polluting the waterways more than even Exxonmobile.

Cal Dining states on their website that they “prioritizes ingredients from producers that practice environmental and social responsibility.” Tyson Foods practices the opposite, as do other companies Cal Dining works with such as Hormel and Real Good Fish.

This month, we will be protesting outside the football game to show UC Berkeley that their students want to see them put their money where their mouth is and transition away from using factory farms to supply animal products in the dining halls. This month’s protest will emphasize Chancellor Carol Christ’s lack of action.

She continues to defend the school’s use of Tyson Foods and other corrupt factory farming companies in the dining halls. Some of us will be wearing masks of her face. Masks and signs will be provided. Carol Christ’s signature look is a dark blue blazer. If you are down to wear a Carol Christ mask and you own a dark blue blazer, please wear it. If you don’t own a blue blazer, no worries, please just wear blue so we can match her attire as well as possible! Signs and masks will be provided at the protest. If you have any questions about the action, please email me at zoerooster@berkeley.edu

Like all of our events, this protest will be strictly nonviolent in word, action, and tone.

Everyone is welcome!

Signs and other materials will be provided. If you want to join our materials-making party, come to the Berkeley Animal Rights Center at 7:00 pm on October 19th!

WHEN: Saturday, October 29th at 11:00 am

WHERE: Outside of Memorial Stadium

WHAT: Creative protest against factory farming