Who We Are
Animal Rebellion is a mass movement that uses nonviolent civil disobedience to bring about a transition to a just and sustainable plant-based food system, to halt mass extinction, alleviate the worst effects of climate breakdown and ensure justice for animals. We are a decentralised, global movement for climate and animal justice.
Our Demands
1. Tell the truth
Government and big business must tell the truth by declaring animal agriculture to be a leading cause of the climate and ecological emergency.
2. Act now
Government and big business must act now to transition to a plant-based food system in order to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
3. Beyond politics
Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
Our Values
- We are an anti-speciesist movement with a shared vision of change
- We focus on a system change, not individual change
- We need a regenerative culture
- We openly challenge ourselves and our toxic system
- We value reflecting and learning
- We welcome everyone and every part of everyone
- We embrace collaborative power
- We avoid blaming and shaming
- We are a non-violent network
- We are based on autonomy and decentralisation
For full explanation of the 10 Principles and Values see here.
Our Story
In mid 2019 the Amazon was on fire. Three months after Extinction Rebellion had shaken the world, leading to the UK government declaring a climate emergency and the reality of the climate crisis was more apparent than ever. But one thing was still being ignored: Animal Agriculture.
The Rebellion Begins
Animal Rebellion was formed out of the realisation that we can’t end the climate emergency without ending the animal emergency. We declared ourselves in open rebellion against the UK government on August 17th 2019, whilst occupying Trafalgar Square with 10,000 people. Over the next few weeks, we reforested Parliament Square and spray-painted the Old Bailey, the UK Central Criminal Court, to highlight their gross inaction on the climate emergency.
On the 7th of October, 1,500 people took over Smithfields Market, the oldest meat market in the UK, transforming it into a hopeful and joyous vision of a plant-based future. This temporary utopia highlighted the world we want to create, one where animals, farmers and people live together harmoniously whilst respecting planetary boundaries. And this was only the beginning.
What Came Next
Since then, we’ve taken on the Government and McDonald’s. We’ve shut down milk factories, disrupted slaughterhouses and taken our message of a plant-based food system everywhere from the G7 and COP26 summits to industrial estates across the UK. We’ve gained international news coverage, built alliances with climate and human justice groups and created powerful campaigns that have led to real change. We’ve done it all because of people like you volunteering their time to make change.
While much has changed since 2019, one thing is still true. The climate crisis is a threat we all must come together to face and we need real solutions from our government and those who hold power. Together we can build a world which puts justice for our planet and all who live on it first.
Join the rebellion now and be part of system change!