MASSUEVILLE, Que. - Animal-rights protesters with fake bulletholes stuck to their heads are blocking the entrance to a slaughterhouse near Montreal in one of several similar demonstrations being held across Canada at events ofvarying sizes, scheduled in Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Charlottetown to call for an end to the slaughter of horses .

Protesters are urging support of a private member's bill in Ottawa that would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

About 20 people waving placards and repeatedly shouting "murderers!" gathered outside the entrance to the Richelieu Meat Inc. abattoir northeast of Montreal.

Many of the protesters had painted their faces white and stuck rubber Halloween-type bullet wounds on their foreheads. Blood-coloured paint spilled out of the bulletholes.

Atamanenko fears that most horses sent to abattoirs are not bred for their meat. He says many of the animals have been given medication that could be harmful to humans.

The protesters agree.

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