A demonstration is planned for today to advocate for amendments to the Constitution to further secure the rights of animals, the Animal Protection Legislation Movement Alliance said yesterday.
The alliance said in a statement that the march, expected to draw more than 1,000 people, is to urge the government to look beyond existing animal protection laws and ensure animal rights in the Constitution.
The Legislative Yuan’s Constitutional Amendment Committee is considering proposals for amendments.
The alliance said that committee should recognize that animals have similar perceptual abilities to humans, and that protecting them is a national obligation.
Taiwan in 1998 became the 54th country to give animals legal protections, and several other laws have followed, including the Animal Industry Act (畜牧法), the Veterinary Drugs Control Act (動物用藥品管理法) and the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), the alliance said.
However, these laws have been inadequate in providing measurable protection to animals, it said.
Today’s event has an informal start time of noon on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building, and is scheduled to officially begin at 1:30pm with a media briefing and re-enactments of animal cruelty situations performed by actors.
The march is scheduled to proceed at 2pm and arrive at the Legislative Yuan at about 3pm, before returning to Ketagalan Boulevard, where animal rights organizations are to give speeches and lectures.
The alliance is a coalition of eight animal rights groups, while today’s march is to involve more than 70 groups supporting animal welfare, including student clubs and private organizations.
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