Joaquin Phoenix has urged people to "go vegan" at an animal rights protest in London.
The ‘Joker’ star and long-time animal rights activist attended a demonstration at Tower Bridge in the UK capital ahead of his appearance at tonight’s (02.02.20) BAFTAs – where he is nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of the titular comic book villain in Todd Phillips’ 2019 flick – which saw a huge banner erected on Tower Bridge.
Emblazoned across the huge cloth was the message: "Factory farming destroys our planet. Go vegan."
The 45-year-old movie star also gave an interview to Sky News, in which he warned that people are "not in a panic in the way they should be" about climate change and "adjusting their consumption" by adopting a plant-based diet.
He said: "People are not in a panic in the way they should be. These are very dire times and so I felt like I had to do something.
"We have a personal responsibility to take action right now.
"One way we can mitigate climate change is by adjusting our consumption and by going plant based. I feel sometimes that’s not being talked about enough.
"This is an emergency. We have to do everything we can to try to cut down our impact on climate change."
The ‘Signs’ actor insisted that everyone’s "hypocrites" and whilst he acknowledges that the entertainment industry "consumes a lot of resources", including lots of travel via planes, he believes the best way to tackle the crisis is to simply go vegan.
He added: "We are all hypocrites in some ways. We all struggle with what the right thing to do is and we make mistakes.
"The industry does consume a lot of power and a lot of resources so the way to mitigate that for me is to maintain a vegan lifestyle."
Joaquin – who regularly attends pig vigils – organised the completely plant-based menu at this year’s Golden Globes.
He said at the event: "It’s the first time I’ve ever eaten the food at this ceremony. I thought it was excellent.
"I was so moved by their decision to make tonight plant-based. It was such an important step.
"The SAG Awards and Critics Choice Awards and Governor’s Ball, whatever else there is, need to do it as well.
"I think now consuming animal products is no longer just a personal choice.
"It is having a drastic and vast consequence on the rest of the world and all of us, and so I think it was incredibly brave and compassionate of HFPA to make that bold decision.
"I really commend them for that.
"I’ve never been so proud to attend an awards ceremony as I am tonight, and thank you so much for asking that question."
Joaquin Phoenix urges everyone to go vegan at London protest
