Marching animal rights activists have taken over city roads, calling for an end to the "flawed" and "unjust" slaughter in the meat industry.
More than 200 demonstrators streamed through the centre of Melbourne on Friday, blocking trams and cars as they marked the third Dominion Animal Rights march.
City-goers watched on as people dressed in white shirts smeared with red paint brandished signs depicting suffering animals changed slogans such as, "Humane slaughter is a lie. Animals do not want to die".
Chrissie Hall brought her young daughters to the march, telling AAP animal rights are no different to human rights.
"We all feel. We all have babies. We all love each other, and animals do the same," she said.
The mother-of-two said the issue was one that is close to her heart, and it was important for her daughters to know that animals have feelings.
"They love animals and they want the best for animals," Ms Hall said.
"How can you lie to them about where their food's from. I say it in a very nice way, but I don't tell them what happens."
Fifteen years ago, Jessi made the hard choice to go vegan after witnessing cruelty within the animal industry.
She took matters into her own hands after learning of the environmental toll from the billions of animals being slaughtered every year.
"The best thing and the easiest thing to do on your own instead of relying on the government or on someone else is to go vegan," she told AAP.
Protesters stopped at several landmarks including the federal court, State Library, Flinders Street Station and Treasury Place to rail against the "unethical" industry.
Farm Transparency Project director Chris Delforce, whose group has covertly filmed alleged cruel practices within dozens of slaughterhouses, said the industry cannot be divorced from abuse, suffering and pain.
"There are no improvements that can be made to a system that is fundamentally flawed, fundamentally unjust and fundamentally unjustifiable," the former Animal Justice Party candidate said.
He said the industry is beyond redemption that must be relegated to a "shameful corner of history".
