In Paris, the horse-racing lobby is advertising to young people at the expense of horses
The Place de la Concorde is set to become a place for promoting horse racing to children. With attendance levels declining, the sector is trying to charm young audiences in particular in order to inspire vocations—which remain professional animal abuse—and win new addicts. By authorizing this event, the capital is moving far away from the principles of its “Charter for Animal Welfare”. One Voice reminds us that behind the illusory promises of profit, there is still just as much animal and human misery. We are calling out to the city council.
An unacceptable charm “offensive”
On September 5 and 6, France Galop, race organizer and co-owner of the PMU, will offer a promotional event in the heart of the capital, disguised as a “big popular festival open to all and completely free”.
This lobby—which is very active, with programs on channels targeting young people or specializing in sports, and confident of its protection—openly announces its ambition to “win over new audiences”. It has support in high places, as we recently condemned, with even the government mobilizing, concerned about the risk of a decline in betting.
It is inconceivable to organize “fun” activities and demonstrations to recruit young minds into this environment that exploits living beings pushed to the extreme. Finally, what can be said about such promotion of gambling, a source of addiction and excessive debt?
The methods of horse exploitation: a carefully maintained opacity
Submission and pressure to perform are constant. Scandals involving doping and mutilation for profit are legion. In this environment, there is no consideration for these sentient beings, from their forced conception to their premature death.
The industry, with a turnover of ten billion euros, does not want citizens to be aware of the heavy toll it takes on horses.
The proof is that the only figure available, obtained “through insistence” by the newspaper Libération, is as follows: in 2019, 135 horses died during competition. This figure has remained stable for thirty years, representing approximately 4,000 deaths over this period.
Added to this are the horses slaughtered after races, those injured or exhausted, those that are unprofitable, which disappear into the food sector (representing 52% of those killed for their meat in France)…
One Voice calls out Paris City Council!
Why did the municipality authorize this immoral advertisement in one of our country’s most iconic public squares? This approval clearly contradicts its ambitions as voted on in an explicit charter. We are writing to the mayor and her team.
Join us in demanding that horses be granted the status of pets.