Amy Soranno

Amy Soranno (born 1993/1994) is a Canadian animal rights activist in British Columbia and a former teen beauty queen.[1]

Amy Soranno
Amy Soranno (2020)
Born
Amy Soranno

1993/1994 (age 26–27)
NationalityCanadian
Known forAnimal rights activism
Home townVernon, British Columbia
TitlePrincess Silver Star 2010

Pageantry

Soranno was a participant in the 2010 Queen Silver Star Excellence program run by the Vernon Winter Carnival.[2] She won the title of "Princess Silver Star".[3][4]

Health issues

Around the age of 20, Soranno went from being healthy to becoming chronically ill and was diagnosed with POTS at age 20.[5] After seeing 14 different specialists in Canada, she sought help in the US.[5] She was diagnosed in November 2013 with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).[5] She has also been diagnosed with Lyme disease and Sjögren syndrome.[6] At one point she was confined to her bed 90% of the time.[7]

Her family created a documentary about her case to raise awareness, releasing it in May 2015, to coincide with Lyme Disease Awareness Month.[7] They established a fundraising campaign for her medical expenses on GoFundMe.[7]

While giving a speech in Victoria, B.C. Canada in 2019, Soranno took a seat, stating that she “wasn’t doing it out of laziness” but because she is sick. [8] She went on to say “I am sick every day of my life” from what doctors call a “complex medical mystery”. [8]During that brief part of her speech, Soranno revealed that her condition includes a heart condition, nerve disorder, connective tissue disease, and significant allergy responses.[8] Soranno then revealed that her “pain and suffering” has allowed her to “more strongly empathize” with animals and that her suffering is “insignificant in comparison” to what animals are experiencing.[8] The remaining 45 minutes of the speech was focused on animal rights activism. [8]

Activism

Soranno is part of an animal rights movement called "Meat the Victims", which originated in Australia.[1] She engaged in the first Meat the Victims action in Canada on April 28, 2019.[1] [9] During that action, approx 65 activists entered, without authorization, Excelsior Hog Farm in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The group obtained video of mistreatment of animals and refused to leave until journalists were allowed inside the facility.[10][11] Outside, more than 100 additional activists lined the street. [12] The protest was sparked by a video released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.[1] [9] Negotiations with the police lasted for seven hours and then, after all demands were met, Soranno was the only one arrested.[10][11] It was suspected she might be the leader.[1]

She was part of a protest group which locked themselves to the Interior Savings Credit Union headquarters in downtown Kelowna, BC on November 18, 2019.[13][14] Her group was protesting the ISC's sponsorship of Ribfest, which they claimed promoted cruelty to animals.[12][15] They were arrested for mischief as a result.[12][16]

She is an organizer for Okanagan Animal Save which does vigils for animals, and will "wave down trucks headed to slaughterhouses so that they can take the animals’ photos and comfort them before they're killed."[1] Soranno organized a protest by the group, against Rocana Meats in Salmon Arm, BC.[17] Protesters temporarily stopped trucks of livestock from entering the slaughterhouse.[17]

On August 7, 2020 media sources announced that Amy Soranno, along with three other activists, had been charged with criminal activity surrounding the hog farm action on April 28,2019. [18] Soranno is scheduled to appear in court on September 3, 2020 to face seven charges, including “break and enter to commit an indictable offence”. [19]

References
  1. Brown, Alleen (May 12, 2019). "Testing the Line: As Animal Rights Activists Push Legal Boundaries, Canada Considers What Makes a Terrorist". The Intercept. First Look Media. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  2. "Queen Silver Star History". Vernon Winter Carnival. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  3. Brady, Cara (January 31, 2010). "New royals excited for year ahead". Vernon Morning Star. Vernon, BC: Torstar. p. A14. ISSN 0842-4349. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020. ProQuest 373081281
  4. Brady, Cara (September 12, 2010). "Queen Silver Star candidates make debut". Vernon Morning Star. Vernon, BC: Torstar. p. A3. ISSN 0842-4349. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020. ProQuest 750314510
  5. Tannis, Toby (January 3, 2014). "Friends rally around Okanagan woman with rare condition". Global News. Corus Entertainment Inc. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  6. Helston, Charlotte (June 3, 2015). "Vernon woman shows what Lyme disease really looks like". InfoNews. Vernon, BC. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  7. Hjalmarson, Lauren (May 29, 2015). "Documentary Released About Young Kelowna Woman's Struggle with Lyme Disease". KelownaNow. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  8. "Is Veganism Enough? The Truth about Animal Rights Activism".
  9. Manchester, Jon (April 28, 2019). "Police remove protesters". Castanet. Kelowna, BC. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  10. "Canada: "What happens in the barn, stays in the barn" – That Is, Until Activists Get To The Pig Farm ! https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/07/01/canada-what-happens-in-the-barn-stays-in-the-barn-that-is-until-activists-get-to-the-pig-farm/". External link in |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  11. "SPCA investigation into alleged inhumane treatment at BC hog farm 'stalled' https://www.kamloopsbcnow.com/watercooler/news/news/Provincial/SPCA_investigation_into_alleged_inhumane_treatment_at_BC_hog_farm_stalled/". External link in |title= (help)
  12. Van Emmerik, Klaudia (November 18, 2019). "Animal activists arrested after chaining themselves to Kelowna building". Global News. Corus Entertainment Inc. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  13. "Protesters lock themselves to Interior Savings doors". Daily Courier. Kelowna, BC: Continental Newspapers Okanagan Valley Newspaper Group. November 18, 2019. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  14. Taylor, Daniel (November 21, 2019). "Animal rights activist defends Monday's Ribfest protest". Kelowna Capital News. Black Press Media. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  15. Clarke, Paul (November 18, 2019). "RCMP cut free activists chained to Kelowna bank, placed under arrest". Kelowna Capital News. Kelowna, BC: Torstar. ISSN 1717-6042. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020. ProQuest 2315565566
  16. Brookes, Laura (November 28, 2019). "Animal rights activist Amy Soranno hopes to make a difference". Castanet. Kelowna, BC. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  17. Brouwer, Barb (December 13, 2018). "Slaughterhouse in Salmon Arm site of another protest by activists". Salmon Arm Observer. Torstar. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020. ProQuest 2156011397
  18. "Pig farm protest: BC activists charged after hidden camera-prompted demonstration".
  19. "CSO Government of B.C."
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