‘Infant’ replaces turkey in Thanksgiving protest

In a bid to shock Center City passersby, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals placed a doll of a human baby in the center of table surrounded with all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings Monday to protest eating turkey on the holiday.

But with Salvation Army bells ringing in the background at the corner of Ninth and Market Streets, hardly anyone seemed disturbed by the display.

The message, said Virginia Fort, a PETA senior campaigner, was that "everybody's somebody's baby, including turkeys."

"The shock value is a way to bring attention," said Fort.

But most folks walked right by the odd Thanksgiving setting.

"I don't know if shocking people is the way to educate people," said Marcy Boroff, 48, of Mount Airy, adding she did not think the protest would change much.

Fort and Lauren Quillo, an intern, handed out leaflets entitled "Give turkeys a reason to give thanks," that included facts on the slaughter of turkeys and how they are protective parents.

According to Fort, 45 million turkeys are killed every year when they are only five to six months old for the nation's Thanksgiving dinners.

The display did give Latasha Ford, 36, of South Philadelphia, some pause.

"Now it's uncomfortable," she said, adding she will think twice before sitting down for a Thanksgiving feast to eat a cooked bird.

Christopher Connors, 50, who works in the film business and lives in West Hollywood, Calif., said the baby was a bit much, but added that his wife was a vegan and supported the message.

"Vegan all the way," he said.

Last week, PETA released billboard an ad targeted at children with a dog's head PhotoShopped onto a turkey's body.

It says, "KIDS: If you wouldn't eat your dog, why eat a turkey?"