Rise Against involved in new PETA 2 campaign

Rise Against is among the bands that have been recruited by PETA2 for a new ad campaign against fast food corporation KFC, according to Punknews.org. The anti-cruelty organization has also enlisted Thursday, Hawthorne Heights, Story Of The Year, Silverstein and others for a public service announcement that draws attention to KFC's inhumane treatment of the more than 850 million chickens the company kills each year.

Rise Against vocalist Tim McIlrath told us that the Chicago punk scene in which the band was formed taught him to use music for more than just entertainment: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "I grew up in a punk rock scene and a hardcore scene where I was taught at an early age that if somebody gives you a microphone, or a stage, or the resources to actually make a record, then to do something with that, not just use it to further your own personal agenda, but create something bigger than yourself, you know. Use what it is that you do to not simply entertain, but also to inform."

Although McIlrath is a vegan, he noted that the new PETA2 campaign does not ask people to stop eating meat, but to call for more humane slaughtering.

According to PETA2, chickens raised and killed by KFC often have their bones broken and throats slit while still conscious. Many are also scalded alive. Workers at one supplier for the chain were documented punching live birds, spitting tobacco into their eyes, and spray-painting their faces.

Rise Against will play a massive Los Angeles radio festival on May 19th, then another one in Vancouver, Canada on the 20th, before beginning a three-month North American tour on June 15th in Dallas.

The Chicago punk rock outfit is supporting its latest album, The Sufferer and the Witness.
Submit the above story to:

Del.icio.us   Digg   reddit   StumbleUpon   Facebook