Taking on the global scourge of chicken abuse, PETA members plan to swarm an Echo Park McDonald's tomorrow.

The source of their ire? “Terror and agony for millions of chickens” that are each year destined to become tasty, golden Chicken McNuggets, PETA says.

According to an announcement from the group, the protest marks the move of PETA's younger, hotter “youth division,” a.k.a. “peta2,” from the East Coast to …

… PETA's new Bob Barker Building, its national headquarters in the L.A. capital of free-range, backyard chickens destined to become taco meat, Echo Park.

The org claims that “hundreds” of these young people were surround this particular McDonald's and that not a one of them will sneak in and order a Happy Meal with McNuggets.

But we dare you to.

Credit: ryaninc

Credit: ryaninc

At least a few of the demonstrators, we're promised, will be wearing chicken costumes. Don't eat them with barbecue sauce. They're humans.

But seriously, PETA says McDonald's American chickens …

… are killed using an old-fashioned method that causes millions of birds to have their wings broken and throats cut while they're still conscious and many to be scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

That's not tasty.

And here's the thing. PETA argues that McDonald's already uses more humane methods in Europe but that it refuses to employ them stateside.

A McDonald's statement sent to the Weekly says the company “continues to support our chicken suppliers' use of both controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) and electrical stunning. There is no conclusive scientific consensus that one practice is better than the other … “

It continues, in part:

We appreciate the chance to correct the inaccuracies of PETA's campaign,

and to outline the facts about McDonald's animal welfare practices. McDonald's expects humane treatment of animals by our suppliers in every part of the world where we do business. McDonald's requires our food suppliers to do the right thing – for animals, for humans, and for the environment.

A McDonald's spokeswoman suggested to us that European practices are “vastly” different and that it would be unfair to compare the way they do things to American chicken processing.

peta2 Manager Marta Holmberg claims the chickens are “boiled alive:”

These kids refuse to stand by while birds are boiled alive, so when it comes to McDonald's, they're hatin' it. McDonald's bigwigs could stop the most flagrant abuse that these birds suffer, but–so far–they have refused to act.

We think PETA should also focus its efforts against pink slime. Luckily it is not used in those greasy nuggets.

All the magic happens at the McDonald's at 1417 Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park starting at 5 p.m. tomorrow. Be there.


View Larger Map

Info.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.