The civil rights, votes for women, the independence of India, the end of the Apartheid… If you remove direct action arguably none of these would have happened or certainly not as fast. We can learn from their successes.
Animal Rebellion Prepares for a Terrifying Halloween — Climate Justice Movement Demonstrates Against Grouse Shooting
*Originally published 29 October 2020* Have you heard of The Butterfly Effect? No, not the Ashton Kutcher movie but the theory itself. It goes back to 1800, in The Vocation of Man, Johann Gottlieb Fichte says “you could not remove a single grain of sand from its place without thereby … changing something throughout all parts of the immeasurable whole”. The same can be said for our ecosystem- push one section of our natural world too far and the effects can be untold. This Hallo-week, climate justice movements: Animal Rebellion and Extinction Rebellion, are demonstrating to the British and Scottish governments the need to impose legislation that will protect and uphold our homes, habitats and country. This will happen by marking[…]
Who Is Animal Rebellion? The Worldwide Movement.
*Update 8 November 2021* *Originally published 14 August 2020* Animal Rebellion is active in over 30 countries, including France, Spain, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Guatemala, South Africa, Israel, South America, North America and Australia. We continue to start new communities in all corners of the world that fight for a just and sustainable future for all: humans, animals, and the planet. In 2019, a small group of Extinction Rebellion members recognised an omission in climate activism: no one was seriously addressing the relationship between people, animals, and the planet. And so, they formed Animal Rebellion to raise awareness about this gap and expose the impact animal agriculture has on the climate and all animals involved, human and non-human. They came together[…]
The Rebellion Has Brought the Climate Crisis to the Forefront… Now It Is Time to Address Speciesism
So far Extinction Rebellion and Animal Rebellion have had so much to celebrate. They have achieved great things. Before Extinction Rebellion, the existential threat climate change poses wasn’t widely discussed in popular culture or taken seriously. In the space of a few months XR changed the tone of that conversation forever. This is a massive shift and a great achievement that we can take pride in. We can also celebrate its effectiveness Talk must produce results, and as I write this there is an election coming and climate change is now an election issue even for mainstream parties. Also, the UK government plans a citizens’ assembly to look at the climate emergency (albeit watered down from what has been demanded). This is a result![…]
Red Tractor: Assuring Animal Cruelty
*Originally published 19 October 2019* Rather than ensuring farm standards, Red Tractor fools the unaware consumer into supporting animal cruelty. ‘Facts are irrelevant. What matters is what the consumer believes’, said Seth Godin, American author and business executive. Animal agriculture and its representatives are well aware of this fact and consumers’ desire to be reassured that the products they purchase are ethical and of high quality. But how many are aware that labels, assurance schemes and terms such as ‘humane’ and ‘farm fresh’ mean very little for the 6.4 billion animals killed for food in the UK every single year? Animal Rebellion has been protesting at the headquarters of Red Tractor, a product certification programme that is made up of a[…]
What is Animal Rebellion’s Relationship with Extinction Rebellion?
*Originally published 6 September 2019* Our origins Animal Rebellion came into being to make sure that everyone who cares deeply about animals and the planet knows that, in the coming October Rebellion, there is a group representing them. A group made up of all of us. Many of you were already asking: what about the animals? Many of you were waiting for Animal Rebellion to come along. So here we are. Most of us who formed Animal Rebellion were already involved in other animal justice groups such as Save, Animal Justice Project, AV, Hunt Sabs, and local action groups, as well as animal advocates from academia, the media, and other walks of life. We knew that, as people who care[…]
The People’s Rebellion: This Is What Democracy Looks Like
*Originally published 10 October 2019* Animal Rebellion’s change of plans over Smithfield was controversial and we have listened to the valid and thoughtful criticism that it was undemocratic. The reason for the change of plans has been explained elsewhere so here we will focus on how we can improve our democratic decision making over the Rebellion. Due to a combination of different factors — time pressures, safety concerns, being a very young organization, the Rebel Alliance, our strategy and the limitations of our small but dedicated team of volunteers — it was not possible to open this decision up to the wider community. Decentralized decision making has always been the aim. We believe that the best way to achieve this is via People’s Assemblies. This is[…]
Because Humans Are Animals Too
*Originally published 8 October 2019* As Animal Rebellion march on Westminster, let’s look at the toll animal agriculture takes on humanity. Did you or anyone you know live in the UK between 1980 and 1996? If so, did you also know that you cannot legally donate blood anywhere in the world except in Britain? And that the reason is down to animal agriculture? Most people are aware of variant CJD and its link to BSE in cattle due to the scandal of ‘Mad Cow Disease’ in the 1990s. But how many are aware that in December 2012, the medical journal ‘The Lancet’ reported that 1 in every 2000 people alive today may be incubating the disease due to eating infected meat or[…]
London Eatery Lunchbox Inspired by Animal Rebellion – and Sends Hot Food to Feed the Rebels
*Originally published 2 October 2019* Gwendolyn Love is proud of how far her new business has come in just a few months. Established at the end of 2018 by Dragos Ava, his brother Andu and partner, Gwendolyn, Lunchbox by Mingzi is committed to offering the “true taste of nature” through its selection of European and Asian inspired breakfast and lunch options. Much of that inspiration and the recipes come from Gwendolyn’s own Buddhist vegan family — a tradition that goes back to her grandmother over 60 years ago. Her mother, aunty and uncle are all vegan too for religious reasons. Veganism isn’t mandatory for Buddhists, but the idea of appreciating food and acknowledging the sacrifices made in getting it to[…]
Why 10,000 Animal Rebels are Occupying Smithfield Market in October
*Originally published 21 August 2019* The Official Animal Rights March on Saturday 17th August was an incredible day, being both uplifting and motivating, heart-breaking and full of love. It was also our launch, the official first action of Animal Rebellion. And as a wholly new movement, there were of course many questions about who we are and what we’re about. Some of these ranged from: why is an animal justice movement foregrounding climate breakdown, and not the animals? Why aren’t we talking about cruelty to animals more? Do we only care about farmed animals? And why announce Smithfield Market as the October target so soon? We’re going to answer all of these questions. As a brand-new organisation, it’s incredible how quickly we’ve grown. While those involved[…]