A provocative campaign by Project Slingshot has launched on the London Underground, aiming to expose the secretive practice of slaughtering pigs in gas chambers. Supported by comedians Diane Morgan, Jen Brister, Shabaz Ali, TV's Dr Amir Khan, and athlete Mathew Pritchard, the ads challenge industry claims that CO2 gassing qualifies as humane slaughter. Each supporter dismisses the claim in their own words, concluding with: "I don't buy it."
Celebrity Support and Statements
Diane Morgan remarked: "I looked up humane in the dictionary and I have to say gassing didn't come up." Other notable supporters include comedian Simon Amstell, historian Rutger Bregman, actor Sir Mark Rylance, Meat Free Monday founders Paul, Mary, and Stella McCartney, and MP Neil Duncan-Jordan. Duncan-Jordan stated: "We've been told for decades that CO2 gas chambers are humane. The pigs screaming inside them tell a different story. I don't buy it. The public doesn't buy it. Westminster shouldn't either. Ban them."
The Reality of Pig Slaughter
In England and Wales, 90% of pigs are slaughtered in CO2 gas chambers. A 2025 report by a government advisory body found that this method causes severe pain, fear, anxiety, and respiratory distress. Although the government's December 2025 animal welfare strategy promised a phase-out of CO2 gassing, Project Slingshot accuses the government of capitulating to industry profits over welfare.
Naomi Hallum, co-founder of Project Slingshot, said: "Despite evidence that pigs experience severe pain and distress, the industry asks us to believe they kill pigs in gas chambers because it is humane. We don't buy it. This is industrial-scale gaslighting. While pigs get gassed, the rest of us get gaslit." Sir Mark Rylance added: "We're killing nine out of ten pigs in gas chambers. The government knows it causes pain and fear. The industry knows we'd object if we knew. So they made sure we didn't."
Public Opinion and Campaign Goals
A survey commissioned by Project Slingshot found that 81% of Brits find the practice unacceptable. Co-founder Matthew Glover said: "The powerful agribusinesses know the secret formula: make a killing by spending less on killing. We know ending CO2 gassing is a David-and-Goliath fight. They have power. But we have the truth, and our lawyers are ready." Project Slingshot aims to end factory farming by 2040. The McCartneys stated: "Project Slingshot is pulling back the curtain on factory farming so that people can make informed choices."
Over 750 ads will appear in 206 London Underground stations, with 2,200 more inside tube carriages, for two months. Key stations include Euston, Charing Cross, Liverpool Street, Embankment, and Kings Cross St Pancras.
