Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has infuriated Italy's meat industry by joining a vegetarian campaign and “adopting” five lambs that would have been butchered for Easter.
Video has angered the meat lobby as it promotes vegetarianism
Rome: Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has infuriated Italy's meat industry by joining a vegetarian campaign and "adopting" five lambs that would have been butchered for Easter.
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A video by the Italian League in Defence of Animals and the Environment, showing Berlusconi cuddling, kissing and feeding the lambs with a baby's bottle, was circulated widely on social media. The 80-year-old four-times PM was filmed in front of a sign saying "Defend life, choose a vegetarian Easter", while a scrolling message urged viewers to "Be like him. He saved five lambs from the Easter slaughter."
Italians traditionally eat lamb or goat on Easter Sunday, but consumption has declined sharply due to an economic slump and growing success of vegetarian campaigns. Italy's butchers' lobby Assocarni attacked the billionaire media tycoon and called on advertisers to boycott his television channels and publications.
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