Tom Lynch

When you've got support from celebrities that range from Pamela Anderson to Dr. Cornel West, it's tough to be ignored.

The KFC at Diversey and Halsted is bombarded with protestors on this brisk, but sunny, Saturday afternoon, as members from advocacy organization Mercy for Animals wear signs that read "KFC is Torture" and "KFC Stands for Cruelty" and that feature Colonel Sanders wielding a bloody knife. They are speaking out against practices allegedly used in KFC slaughterhouses that include crushing and torturing live chickens by slamming them into walls and on the ground and slitting the animals' throats while they are still conscious.

"Most people don't realize [what's going on]," says Mercy for Animals' campaign director Daniel Hauff. "The practices are far below animal-care standards...they are inhumane practices that KFC refuses to acknowledge." What does Hauff and crew want to accomplish? "We want [KFC to] create a controlled atmosphere, where the killing is less cruel."

A tall man stands at the center of the group, donning a video screen across his torso that shows footage taken from inside a slaughterhouse. An image of a man violently stomping on two live chickens sends two passersby away with discomfort. PETA helps out by handing out flyers that tell graphic information about KFC practices, along with endorsements by Anderson, West, Paul McCartney, Al Sharpton and Russell Simmons.

Inside the KFC, all is business as usual. When a father asks, "Did you know there are protestors out there?" he's interrupted by a short "Can I take your order?"

(2006-10-31)

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