Actually many died for the sacrifice of making a political statement.
Lord Farquaad: “I’m not the monster here, YOU are! You and the rest of that fairytale trash, poisoning my perfect world. Now tell me, where are the others?”
Remember the time where Lord Farquaad was trying to rid his kingdom of all “fairy tale trash” and they ended up having to find refuge in Shrek’s swamp? Maybe a better way of expressing it is that Lord Farquaad was taking control of beloved icons loved by many so that he could leverage power.