Let’s make a veggie victory: save Meat Free Mondays!

If you’re a part of UCL’s vegetarian and vegan community, you’ll know that we’d just about started to calm down with our no-meat-mantra. That was, however, until last week UCLU decided to discuss the possibility of scrapping Meat Free Mondays. I know that UCL’s meat-eating majority will be undoubtedly pleased by this, but really it’s in your best interest to oppose it.

I’m sure it’s hard for meat-eaters: you walk into campus at lunchtime after your back-to-back lectures and 9 am start, desperately anticipating a bacon sandwich… and out of nowhere out us veggies and vegans protest your meat-eating and deny you your sarnie, completely ruining your lunchtime experience. That certainly isn’t going to drive up sales or keep the peace. But that isn’t the point of Meat Free Mondays.

There’s so much more to the campaign than angering meat-eaters. It was started with the intention to educate people on an industry that is responsible for more emissions than even the transport sector!

Granted, the campaign does need some major changes. Believe me even we non-meat eaters aren’t satisfied with the ‘hummus and veggies’ substitutes. In no way does that help with the vegan stereotype (although hummus will always hold an unparalleled place in my heart).

Contrary to the stereotype, however, we non-meat eaters aren’t trying to dictate what you eat. We’re much more concerned with trying to find food that everyone can eat at UCLU cafes. Meat Free Mondays aren’t perfect for us either: it seems while we thought that the campaign would create more choices for us, we still have to fight each other for the scarce few sandwiches that are available – and trust me when I say to never get in between a vegan and their food.

It’s not all about the happiness of non-meat eaters, either. What about the thought of all those cute, innocent little animals that you would be saving?

More importantly, do it for yourself! All those days cycling into university in the hopes of making a difference to the environment, when you could go meat free for one day and make just as big an impact. And if that has’t convinced you do it for your university! Aside from being a massive help to UCLU’s emissions, think of our Union’s reputation. Oxford’s Wadham College Union have also signed up to Meat Free Mondays and if we give up the campaign now we’d be letting them beat us in one more thing. Not only do we owe it to UCLU but to every other university union to ensure Oxford don’t continue to get one up on us. Meat Free Mondays also give everyone the chance to opt for healthier options for the day. Why is this perceived as a bad thing?

So please, if you have any interest in improving the environment, your uni’s reputation and most of all yourself – sign the petition to ensure Meat Free Mondays stay at UCL!