Joey Carbstrong

Carbstrong was born Joseph Dominic Armstrong in Adelaide, South Australia. He has publicly stated that before his fame he was involved in substance abuse and crime. He became a vegan after his release from incarceration. He has a tattoo of the word "Vegan" behind his right ear.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-thanks-to-vegans-my-vegetarianism-has-become-a-source-of-shame/ |title=Thanks to vegans, my vegetarianism has become a source of shame |work=The Globe and Mail |last=Lewis |first=Carly |date=17 February 2019 |access-date=2024-09-25 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217200206/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-thanks-to-vegans-my-vegetarianism-has-become-a-source-of-shame/ |archive-date=17 February 2019 |url-status=live}}

At the age of 14, he had left school and developed a heavy drug addiction. He had various blue-collar jobs before receiving welfare at age 22. By this point he had gained a lengthy criminal record which included three assaults. He spent 18 months under house arrest. He was arrested in September 2011 after police discovered a concealed, loaded shotgun which Armstrong was bringing to a drug deal. Multiple weapons and additional ammunition in his hotel room were also discovered and he spent six months in jail. While in jail, he claimed to have had an epiphany and decided to change his life, saying, "I began seeing my life with new eyes. I'd seen all the other prisoners in there and didn't want to be there, I wanted to leave the gangs."{{cite web | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uqh_LNpay4 | title = Is Milk Murder for Cows? | last = | first = | date = 2018 |website=Good Morning Britain | publisher = YouTube |access-date=20 January 2023 | quote = }} In May 2021, he released a video to celebrate eight years of sobriety.{{Citation |title=My demons nearly took my life from me, this is what saved me... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIgUxFxwQRg |via=YouTube |access-date=2021-05-16}}

Carbstrong has been involved in animal rights street activism in Australia, Hong Kong,{{cite web |last=James |first=Lauren |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2123837/hong-kong-pig-save-activists-stage-vigil-slaughterhouse-raise-awareness |title=Hong Kong Pig Save activists stage vigil at city slaughterhouse |date=2017-12-11 |website=South China Morning Post |access-date=2024-09-25 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419151506/https://scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2123837/hong-kong-pig-save-activists-stage-vigil-slaughterhouse-raise-awareness |archive-date=2023-04-19 |url-status=live}} and the United Kingdom, promoting groups such as Anonymous for the Voiceless and the Save Movement, an organisation that holds vigils outside slaughterhouses and promotes veganism by sharing images and footage from farms and slaughterhouses on social media.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-42833132 |title={{-'}}Vegans call me murderer and rapist' |work=BBC News |last=Haque|first=Amber |date=2018-01-29 |access-date=2019-11-13}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15900775.celebrity-vegan-joey-carbstrong-stands-shoulder-to-shoulder-animal-rights-activists-abattoir-vigil-spenymoor/ |title=Celebrity vegan Joey Carbstrong stands shoulder-to-shoulder with animal rights activists during abattoir vigil in Spenymoor |last=Anderson |first=Lizzie |website=The Northern Echo |date=2018-01-27 |access-date=2019-11-13}}

File:UK Co2 Gas Chambers Investigation.webm

In May 2023, Carbstrong is alleged to have published pictures taken from hidden cameras at a Pilgrim's Pride abattoir in Ashton-under-Lyne depicting the "utterly inhumane" nature of using carbon dioxide to stun pigs before being killed.{{cite web |title=Suffering of gassed pigs laid bare in undercover footage from UK abattoir |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/02/suffering-of-gassed-pigs-laid-bare-in-undercover-footage-from-uk-abattoir |website=The Guardian |last1=Colley |first1=Claire |last2=Wasley |first2=Andrew |date=2 May 2023 |access-date=2 May 2024}} Carbstrong captured the undercover footage for his documentary Pignorant.

Carbstrong has released undercover footage of animal cruelty at RSPCA Assured farms. Footage showed workers hitting cows with implements on long poles and kicking them. In September 2024, Carbstrong commented that "our latest investigation exposes the facade behind the RSPCA’s Assured label, which is meaningless in protecting animals".

In 2025, undercover footage of animal cruelty at T&S Abattoir in Arley, Warwickshire was released.{{Cite web|date=2025|title=Police investigating claims of animal abuse at Warwickshire abattoir after secret footage released|url=https://www.itv.com/news/central/2025-03-13/police-investigating-animal-abuse-claims-at-abattoir-following-secret-filming|website=ITV News|archive-date=2025-03-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250314170031/https://www.itv.com/news/central/2025-03-13/police-investigating-animal-abuse-claims-at-abattoir-following-secret-filming|url-status=live}} Carbstrong had installed secret cameras at the halal slaughterhouse in July 2024 and obtained over 200 hours of footage. The footage showed animals being dismembered and having their throats cut whilst still showing signs of consciousness. The Food Standards Agency and Warwickshire Police launched an investigation into the claims of animal cruelty.

In January 2018, he began a 'Vegan Prophecy UK tour', which involved protesting against multiple slaughterhouses.

In 2018, Carbstrong appeared on the British TV programme This Morning to debate two farmers.{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Sarah |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/joey-carbstrong-vegan-campaigner-argument-this-morning-farming-couple-death-threats-criticism-viewers-a8196736.html |title=Vegan campaigner Joey Carbstrong criticised after confronting farming couple who received death threats |website=The Independent |date=6 February 2018 |access-date=2024-09-25}} During the heated discussion, Carbstrong described artificial insemination of cows as a form of sexual abuse and said the dairy industry "sexually violates" cows. On the Jeremy Vine Show, Carbstrong criticised the host Vine's ham and cheese sandwich.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jeremy-vine-blasted-by-vegan-activist-offended-by-his-ham-and-cheese-sandwich_uk_5a72eb00e4b06fa61b4db202|title=Vegan Activist Blasts Jeremy Vine After Spotting His Ham And Cheese Sandwich|date=2018-02-01|website=HuffPost UK|access-date=2019-11-13}}{{cite news |last=Street-Porter |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Street-Porter |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/vegans-veganism-ham-sandwich-jeremy-vine-show-a8190646.html |title=Vegans hurt their case by being too extreme |website=The Independent |date=2 February 2018 |access-date=24 September 2024}}

In 2020, he appeared in Veganville on BBC Three.{{cite web |title=BBC Three – Veganville (On iPlayer: Not available) |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07wn1by |website=BBC |access-date=2 May 2024}}{{cite web |last=Gallier |first=Thea de |title=Veganuary: Veganism is tearing our families apart |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/1422e623-40b6-47f8-af6d-8603be278643 |website=BBC Three |date=17 January 2020 |access-date=2 May 2024}}

In April 2024, Carbstrong and six other vegan activists were arrested after they occupied an elevated area at Cranswick Country Foods in Watton.{{cite web |last1=Dunlop |first1=Alex |last2=Gordon-Farleigh |first2=Neve |date=2024-04-03 |title=Protesters arrested at Cranswick Country Foods in Norfolk|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-68721834 |website=BBC News}} Carbstrong has stated that he wanted to raise awareness about the unethical use of gas chambers to slaughter pigs.{{Cite web |last=Boag |first=Lily |date=2024 |title=Six charged after Cranswick Country Foods protest in Watton |url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/24231330.six-charged-cranswick-country-foods-protest-watton/ |website=Eastern Daily Press |archive-date=2024-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405013642/https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/24231330.six-charged-cranswick-country-foods-protest-watton/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Seven arrests made after animal rights protesters infiltrate Norfolk abattoir run by Cranswick |url=https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-04-03/animal-rights-protesters-invade-pig-processing-factory |website=ITV News |archive-date=2024-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405015414/https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-04-03/animal-rights-protesters-invade-pig-processing-factory |url-status=live}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Australian activists

Category:Australian animal rights activists

Category:Australian people convicted of assault

Category:21st-century Australian educators

Category:Australian veganism activists

Category:Activists from Adelaide

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)