Commuters in Copenhagen have awoken to find the bodies of dead piglets placed around the capital – in a stunt staged by animal rights activists.

Sixteen pigs have been placed in prominent places around the city overnight: amongst them Parliament, the Council of Agriculture and Food, Politikens Hus, and DR Byen.

In scenes worthy of the television series ‘Hannibal’, nine of the dead piglets were found at Landbohøjskolen, arranged as if for a burial with accompanying flowers, candles, and a cross raised over them.

A protest for pigs
A group of activists have claimed responsibility, explaining the stunt as a protest against the Danish pork industry.

“In Denmark we produce 33 million pigs each year. They are mistreated, misused and systematically destroyed,” they said.

Alongside some of the remains, signs were found with the text: “24,000 piglets die here every day”.

A stunt for the slaughter
The Council of Agriculture and Food has reacted negatively to the stunt.

“This in no way contributes to a relevant debate,” said a council director, Christian Fink Hansen.

Instead, Hansen argues that Denmark is one of the best countries in the world when it comes to the life expectancy and treatment of its pigs.

The bodies have now all been found and removed – and the case will continue to be investigated by police.