Animal Rights Group Calls For Boycott Of Australian Artists Performing At The Melbourne Cup
Birds of Tokyo, Sheppard, Waifia, Baker Boy, and Hot Dub Time Machine are among some of the artists playing at the Cup Carnival.
Anti-racing advocates have urged music fans to participate in a boycott of Australian musicians playing at this year’s Melbourne Cup.
A week-long free music festival for attendees with tickets to the 2022 Melbourne Cup has been targeted by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses this week, with the organisation calling on audiences to boycott the performing musicians for “endorsing animal abuse”.
Calling out the participating artists as “musicians to boycott” in a social media post, the animal rights group suggested a boycott of Australian artists performing at the Cup Carnival; which include Baker Boy, Birds of Tokyo, Sheppard, Waifia, and Hot Dub Time Machine.
“The following music artists are performing at the Cup Carnival. If these are artists you follow, maybe consider politely expressing your disappointment in them endorsing animal abuse,” the organisation said in a post on social media.
For decades, animal rights advocates have strongly encouraged Australians to boycott the Melbourne Cup race, on the basis that it routinely results in the cruel and unnecessary treatment of horses, with animals regularly sustaining injuries that lead to violent euthanasia on race day.
Musicians performing as part of the race don’t escape criticism either, American pop star Taylor Swift cancelled her scheduled performance at the 2019 event due to “scheduling issues” which conveniently arose after a campaign protesting her involvement with the race went viral.
However, following the earth-shattering devastation on the Australian music industry from COVID-19, many appear to be sympathetic to Australian artists participating in event, with online commentators chiding the animal rights group for leading a boycott against local musicians.