The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) have asked its supporters to boycott 13 Australian artists performing at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival, including Baker Boy, Birds Of Tokyo and Wafia.
The activist organisation has long been in protest of the Melbourne Cup – a horse race held annually on the first Tuesday of November (this year’s is taking place today) – where it’s not uncommon for competing horses to be treated cruelly or euthanised following injuries suffered on the track.
Part of the event’s celebrations include the weeklong Melbourne Cup Carnival, which this year runs from October 29 to November 5. In addition to the aforementioned artists, the line-up includes Crooked Colours, Hot Dub Time Machine, Sneaky Sound System, KLP and Stace Cadet.
In a post shared on social media on Sunday (October 30), the CPR called for a boycott of the artists billed to perform at the Carnival. “If these are artists you follow,” it wrote, “maybe consider politely expressing your disappointment in them endorsing animal abuse.”
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.
Posted by Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses on Sunday, October 30, 2022
At the time of writing, none of the artists booked to perform at the Melbourne Cup Carnival appear to have have responded to the CPR’s calls for a boycott.
As Tone Deaf noted, Delta Goodrem faced criticism earlier in October when she made a post on Instagram celebrating her longstanding “partnership” with the Victoria Racing Club.