rockinontheblog / CC

Well, we tried—but our permit to set up a factory farm display on the steps of the U.S. Capitol has been denied. Apparently, the Capitol Police thought that such a display posed "significant public health concerns about the possible spread of the H1N1 virus."

Hmm. That just might have been our point.

So, it's not safe to allow members of congress and lobbyists to be exposed to factory farms, but it looks like tough luck for the millions of Americans in rural areas who have to live amidst the poisonous waste of factory farms. And although the president has declared swine flu a national emergency, the government continues to prop up the industry that caused the crisis (to the tune of $62.6 million in one year alone—with the possibility of $250 million more in the coming fiscal year).

What do you think?

Posted by Amanda Schinke

The following is a guest post from peta2's Lara.

Greetings from our nation's capital! Pop quiz: What do Michelle Obama and PETA have in common? No, it's not our toned biceps. Yes, we are both anti-fur, but that's not what I'm getting at either. It's that we both have volunteered with a great organization called Miriam's Kitchen. Miriam's Kitchen is a D.C.-based nonprofit that provides free meals and support services to homeless people.

Since PETA is relatively new to the neighborhood, we wanted to pitch in and help out the community. And what better way to do that than with vegan pancakes?

Today, we had the great opportunity to prepare and serve the first vegan breakfast in Miriam's Kitchen history.

On the menu:

• Fluffy vegan pancakes with strawberry topping and non-Canadian maple syrup
• Fruit salad
• Hearty veggie chili and brown rice
• Salad
• Coffee with soy milk and orange juice

At first, the vegan breakfast was met with some skepticism, but afterwards, the empty plates spoke for themselves. Here are some reviews from some of the people I spoke with:

"It's actually good!"
"I wish they had soy milk every day. I am allergic to cow's milk, and it tastes better."
"They're trying to makes us healthy up in here!"

Indeed we are.

Posted by Lara Sanders

"In the way that slavery, once a broad social norm, later became an unthinkable crime, we can expect to see a similar shift once meat-eating disappears from our planet. Perhaps, some day, the very idea of eating animal flesh will seem as remote as the idea of owning humans does now."
—Jim Motavalli, ForeignPolicy.com

Seems like the folks at ForeignPolicy.com—as well as many others—are starting to realize that the meat industry isn't just bad for the environment and our health, it's an industry based on exploitation and cruelty.

Maybe … just maybe … they got the idea for their article from our Animal Liberation Project display in Washington, D.C., or our recent setup in New York City's Battery Park.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

The bigwigs in Washington didn't approve our permit to set up a hog farm on the steps of the Capitol, but you'll still be seeing PETA in D.C. this summer. Starting yesterday, our Animal Liberation Project display is going to be a fixture on the National Mall all season long.

With the recent leak of alleged torture photos to media outlets, our Animal Liberation Project display—which makes the connection between the injustices that people have suffered throughout history and the abuse and exploitation that animals suffer every day—couldn't be more relevant. These newest images of abuse include those of a man covered in feces and another man hung upside-down.

Sound familiar?

Being hung upside-down is something that billions of chickens endure before they have their throats cut.

The parallels definitely don't stop there. Check out these images from yesterday's unveiling of the display:

We're set up right across from the Natural History Museum, so if you'll be in D.C. this summer, be sure to stop by.

Interested in volunteering for the Animal Liberation Project in D.C.? Just leave a comment below and we'll be sure to get back to you.

Posted by Shawna Flavell