No food, water or sleep: 17-year-old student plans 36-hour public fast at Stanley to promote veganism

We often hear about the cruelties of factory farming, whether it is about the thousands of animals crammed in tiny cages without sunlight, the use of antibiotics to make animals grow faster or the unsanitary conditions faced by livestock.

After giving it a quick thought, many of us still choose to chomp down on those delicious, juicy burgers, but a teen from HKIS is attempting to convince us to change our ways by fasting for 36 hours in front of Stanley Plaza on June 4, a date best known in Hong Kong for the large-scale marches and vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen massacre.

Dalgic insists the overlap is a result of “pure coincidence”, and that he has no political agenda.

Daghan Dalgic. Photo: Provided

Daghan Dalgic is a 17 year old aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer who recently started a project titled “Love for Gaia” aimed at promoting veganism to meat-lovin’ Hongkongers by spreading awareness on the environmental implications and brutality of factory farming.

In his video, Dalgic explains that millions of live animals are transported thousands of miles to slaughterhouses in overcrowded vehicles every year. Many of these animals don’t survive the trip, animal welfare organisation Compassion in World Farming reports.

Regulations under the Health of Animals Act in Canada allow farm animals such as horses, pigs, and poultry to be transported for up to 36 hours without food, water or rest intervals. To put this in perspective, Dalgic has challenged himself to fast publicly for 36 hours without sleep to replicate these conditions.

“Through this event, I hope to raise question marks in people’s mind[s] and hopefully make people consider following a vegan diet,” Dalgic said to Coconuts Hong Kong. “I also hope that once people see that a teenager is willing to go without food, water or sleep for 36 hours [they will] understand the facts that I am sharing, they will see that this topic is worth researching.”

Coconauts interested in talking to Dalgic about his motivation and the benefits of a vegan diet can visit him during his 36-hour mission from June 4th to the 5th.

When: 7am on Saturday, June 4 to 7pm on Sunday, June 5
Where: In front of Stanley Plaza (Google Maps)


Got a tip? Send it to us at hongkong@coconuts.co.




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