My Friends Descended Into a Gas Chamber — Here’s Why

How two activists risked everything to expose the truth the meat industry doesn’t want you to see

Anna and Hendrik did something most of us would never dare. In the middle of the night, they broke into a slaughterhouse in Germany that proudly claims to “prioritize animal welfare”. Wearing gas masks, they descended into CO₂ chambers — places designed to stay hidden from public view — and planted cameras.

What those cameras recorded is unbearable. This is the first time the inner workings of these chambers have been revealed to the public — and the images have since shaken the country. The footage was broadcast on Germany’s largest public television channel and covered in leading national newspapers.

Each year, more than 40 million pigs are slaughtered in Germany, and over 1.5 billion worldwide. The most common stunning method, both in Germany and globally, uses CO₂ gas. So it’s important to understand how it works.

Anna and Hendrik’s undercover investigation has ignited a wave of protests, along with a court case that recently ended in a shocking verdict — one that raises serious questions about whose side the law is really on.

Here’s all you need to know. 👇

The Descent Into Horror

The stunning system my friends filmed is known as a “paternoster” system. Their footage is the first of its kind in Germany to show its operation.

Picture a vertical shaft, nearly nine meters deep, fitted with several metal gondolas — small cages into which pigs are loaded at the top:

A CO₂ stunning system by Marel — a different supplier, but operating on the same principle.

Workers sometimes resort to brute force to drive the animals inside, striking them with paddles on their legs, heads, even directly in the face.

Once confined in the gondolas, the pigs are slowly lowered into a pit filled with a suffocating atmosphere of over 85% CO₂. By the time they reach the bottom, they are trapped in a nightmare from which there is no escape.

The Horrific Suffocation Struggle

The effects of CO₂ on the pigs are catastrophic. As soon as they inhale the gas, it reacts with saliva and turns into acid, burning the mucous membranes of their noses and throats. The pain is immediate and searing.

Industry claims that pigs lose consciousness within 10 to 20 seconds, but in reality it often takes far longer. Sometimes the gondolas stall on the way down, where gas concentrations are too low to stun quickly. In these moments, panic sets in. The pigs gasp for air, stick their snouts through the filthy bars in a desperate attempt to breathe, and scream in terror.

Videos show them trampling over one another, ramming their heads against the cages so violently that blood smears the metal. The chamber itself is covered in feces and mucus — the unmistakable traces of extreme fear and distress.

Anyone with compassion shouldn’t need further proof, but even the European Food Safety Authority admits that this method is “clearly a welfare problem.”

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Why This Matters Beyond Germany — and Beyond Pigs

Despite the horrors, CO₂ stunning remains standard practice — not only in Germany but across much of the world. Similar abuses have been exposed elsewhere: in the UK, activists occupied the roof of a slaughterhouse to protest pig gas chambers, while hidden cameras exposed the gassing of egg-laying hens.

And it isn’t just pigs and chickens. All types of farmed animals endure unspeakable cruelties, hidden behind comforting labels like “free range” or “humanely raised.” At the Brand Qualitätsfleisch slaughterhouse — where my friends filmed — around 15,000 pigs are gassed every week, even as the company advertises “animal welfare” and pockets €125,000 in public subsidies.

While advertising shows us idyllic scenes of happy animals, most animal products come from factory farms, where cruelty is routine. Billions of animals spend their entire lives in conditions of exploitation and abuse so severe that their final suffocation can seem almost merciful by comparison. That’s why investigations like Anna and Hendrik’s don’t just expose one killing method — they force us to confront the ethics of animal farming itself.

A Shocking Trial

The slaughterhouse owners filed a lawsuit — an attempt to silence Anna and Hendrik with crushing legal costs.

The judges, however, confirmed the following:

• The footage is authentic; the slaughterhouse owner’s claim that the audio was manipulated was rejected by the judges.

• The suffering of the animals is undeniable, with the videos exposing a stark gap between consumer expectations and reality.

• The material serves significant public interest — CO₂ stunning is hidden from view.

• The slaughterhouse’s advertised “transparency” is misleading.

And yet, in a shocking twist, the court still ruled that Anna must not distribute the footage and even pressure her NGO to remove it from the internet. Other people and independent media can still show it, but the activists themselves are silenced.

Anna has called the ruling an attack on free speech. “What is trespassing compared to the death struggle of the pigs?” she asked. Clearly, undercover investigations are the only way to reveal what really happens inside “meat processing plants”. Without them, the industry would remain a black box.

The court’s verdict lays bare a grim truth: our justice system often punishes those who expose cruelty, while those who commit it walk free.

The Fight Isn’t Over

Despite the court ruling and the slaughterhouse’s attempts to intimidate them, Anna and Hendrik — backed by Animal Rights Watch (ARIWA) and countless allies — are refusing to back down. They’ve announced they will appeal, if necessary, all the way to Germany’s highest court. Their undercover investigation has already been a massive success, sparking outrage and debate across Germany, from social media to street protests in Berlin and at the very slaughterhouse they filmed.

Anna and Hendrik at a protest — with a sign that says, “The images will not be hidden from the public!”

What happens next is up to us. You don’t have to sit on the sidelines. Even if you feel removed from this case, you can make a real difference. The fight against cruelty and injustice isn’t just theirs — it’s ours

Here’s how you can help:

1. Spread the Word. Anna and Hendrik showed great courage — let’s make sure it counts. Share this article widely so their discoveries stay visible and the industry can’t silence them. This story matters far beyond Germany, and it’s vital that people everywhere hear it.

2. Support the Movement. The activists are putting themselves on the line in court, but this movement succeeds only if we all step up together. Support organizations like ARIWA and join the growing network of vegan activists, online or in your local community.

3. Make Conscious Choices. Every meal, every purchase, is a vote. Choose plant-based and cruelty-free options. If you haven’t already, drop your excuses — and stop supporting the world’s largest source of preventable suffering.

The animal industry thrives on secrecy. We have the power to end that. Act. Speak. Share. Every step matters.

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