Goa Animal Liberation Movement Holds Animal Liberation March in Panaji
Panaji: The Goa Animal Liberation Movement organised the 4th annual Goa Animal Liberation March on December 27 at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Park, Patto, Panaji. The peaceful public demonstration was held from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm and saw participation from activists from Goa and other regions, advocating animal liberation and ethical justice for non-human animals.
The march commenced from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Park and featured a striking visual demonstration along the route. Activists enacted a reverse role-play, portraying humans as caged and chained, while participants dressed as animals stood free. The symbolic act was aimed at encouraging the public to reflect on the realities of animal confinement and exploitation.
Held soon after Goa Liberation Day on December 19, the event highlighted the idea that liberation is an ongoing process. Organisers from the Goa Animal Liberation Movement stated that the principles that shaped Goa’s freedom—dignity, resistance to exploitation and justice—are equally relevant to the treatment of animals, who continue to be used as commodities in food systems, research, entertainment, fashion and cultural practices.
Organisers further emphasised that veganism is not merely a dietary choice, but a social justice movement that challenges the treatment of animals as property. According to them, veganism seeks to end animal use wherever possible and practicable, replacing systems of violence with compassion and accountability.
Gemini Xettigar, an organiser, said, “I was raised non-vegetarian, but after watching documentary ‘Earthlings’ and other videos that brought out the animal suffering that our choices are responsible for, I went vegan. Being vegan means ensuring, to the greatest extent practically possible, that animals are not exploited or otherwise harmed by our actions for any purpose. Apart from not eating meat, eggs, dairy products/milk and honey, being vegan also involves avoiding leather, wool, silk, fur, pearls, zoos, animal circuses, animal-tested products, etc. Animals want and deserve freedom just like us, so their use is nothing but exploitation.”
Fleur Colaço shared, “I had already been shunning and opposing injustices like sexism, casteism and transphobia, when I realised that we should also reject and fight ‘speciesism’, the discrimination causing the exploitation of innocent sentient beings merely because they belong to non-human species.”
Joan Fernandes added, “Animals may not talk or reason like us, but that is not relevant here at all. What matters ethically is their capacity to suffer. Hence, it is our responsibility to make choices that do not make them suffer.”
The march also focused on the issue of speciesism—the belief that humans are inherently superior to other animals. Activists stated that rejecting speciesism is crucial for building a society based on fairness, empathy and non-violence.
About Goa Animal Liberation Movement:
The Goa Animal Liberation Movement is part of a growing global network of Animal Liberation Marches held in cities across the world, united in the shared demand for justice for animals. The Goa chapter is represented by Gemini Xettigar, Joan Fernandes, Trisha Bene, Daniel Thomas and Fleur Colaço.
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