Overview
- Vier Pfoten, which confirmed responsibility Tuesday, said the giant countdowns were its teaser for a Rathausmarkt action tied to “Meat Exhaustion Day.”
- The unbranded timers first appeared April 14 above the harbor docks, then on the TV tower and the Elbphilharmonie, with no logo or explanation.
- The clock hit zero at midday April 21 as the group staged a spectacle with eight classical musicians, a seven-meter digital clock, and a huge inflatable chicken.
- In a press release, the organization said it used landmark projections on three evenings to point to the date and urged people to cut meat consumption to ease suffering in broiler mega-farms.
- On its site, Vier Pfoten defines Meat Exhaustion Day as the point each year when recommended meat intake is already used up based on planetary and health limits, which it sets on April 21 for 2026.