Activists ROAR
into the Northeast

By Jon Campisi
Times Staff Writer

Testimonials from neighbors who live near the live-bird market set something off in Rachel Ogden, who, as an animal lover, just couldn’t stand the thought of helpless creatures being cooped up in small cages, awaiting their demise.
So Ogden, of South Jersey, got to work.
On March 29, Ogden, joined by about 15 other protesters, demonstrated in front of the Northeast Livestock Corp., at 6202 Oxford Ave., in Oxford Circle.
As Ogden put it, the group was protesting conditions at the bird market, in addition to taking "a stand against everything live poultry markets represent."
The group picketed for a little more than an hour, with employees of the bird market occasionally poking their heads out of the back door to observe the scene on the adjacent sidewalk.
While employees said the business would have no comment about the protest, they were relatively cordial with protesters, and the demonstration went off without any problems. Two civil-affairs officers with the Philadelphia Police Department stood by to ensure the protest’s peacefulness.
The group that Ogden protested with is called Reach Out for Animal Rights, or ROAR, a local grassroots organization that demonstrates in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and sometimes Delaware.
According to its profile on the Internet social-networking site MySpace.com, the group’s efforts include "demonstrations against pet stores that sell animals, raising funds to equip local fire departments with animal oxygen masks, Trap-Neuter-Return and Manage, anti-vivisection education, vegan outreach and more."
The idea for the bird-market protest had been in the works for a while, Ogden said, and was sparked by ROAR members who live in the area.
"We hope to be doing this in the future — not a one-time thing," said Ogden, an organizer with ROAR.
One of ROAR’s main issues with livestock markets in general is that they can be breeding grounds for harmful and deadly viruses. The Oxford Circle market was temporarily shut down by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 2005, and then again in July 2006, because of a bird-flu outbreak detected during routine inspections.
In both cases the strains proved to be non-lethal, but a total of more than 1,000 birds were destroyed as a precaution. The market was permitted to reopen after disinfection and follow-up tests.
While those strains of avian flu were found to be harmless to humans, and didn’t even make the birds sick, Ogden and others say it could be a different story in the future if such markets are permitted to operate.
"We don’t need this," said Helen Gordijenko, of Lawndale, who came upon the protest while walking along Oxford Avenue. "Before we realize it, there are viruses and bacteria (everywhere)."
Gordijenko said she has been in the live-bird market before but had to leave when she lost her composure while attempting to address with the ownership the cramped conditions of the animals in their cages.
"Commercialized slaughter," she said. "This is just slaughter."
Gordijenko said such markets are unnecessary in the United States. "Here, we live in this big country, (with a) huge food supply — absolutely limitless — (and) we do not need livestock brought here and butchered here," she said.
While Gordijenko said "these animals are so cramped in there," she did admit that they appear to receive proper food and water.
Despite how others may feel, Ogden, the ROAR organizer, said her aim is not to purposely ruin lives.
"I’m not intentionally coming here to try and destroy people’s livelihoods," she said, insisting that "someone has to speak up for the animals."
"You’re out here for the animals," she said. "The animals are important. This is a big part of my life."
Ogden has been a vegan for about a year and was a practicing vegetarian for six months before that.
A vegan is defined as someone who consciously shies away from all animal products, whether it’s consuming meat, dairy and other substances made from animals, and avoids purchasing animal-derived materials like leather.
Ogden called the protest a success, noting that more motorists than not honked their horns in support of the group’s cause.
There were, however, a few instances when drivers disagreed with the messages scrawled on the protesters’ signs. These included such slogans as Bird Markets = Bird Flu; Why Risk Illness? Don’t Eat Birds; and A Slaughterhouse, NOT Just a Market In Your Backyard.
In addition to protesting in front of the bird market, ROAR has demonstrated for more than a year in front of a South Philadelphia pet store, critical of cages that hold the animals until they are sold.
The protesters urge consumers to buy pets from local animal shelters. ••
Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com