Damoshe
“While I think the motives of some (many?) of the protesters are not just about the animals”
should read “most”
That said, It concerns me that amongst ourselves we cant be honest. It is impossible to deny that the way kapparos are done in a 21st century metropolis with many chickens crammed in crates with little to no access to food/water exposed to the elements is a far cry from the way kapporos were done in 19th century rural Europe.
Now you can argue that kapporos is an important minhag and especially when anti-semites are trying to eradicate it it is worth preserving in spite of the above.
But what cant be argued is that the chickens arent suffering, and it concerns me that some cant be honest enough to acknowledge that.