*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[…]
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[…]
Civil Disobedience Doesn’t Have to Lead to Arrests… but Be Prepared.
*Originally published 25 September 2019* Animal Rebellion’s October action promises a major transformation in the way we talk about a plant-based society and a colourful, creative vision of what a just and sustainable food system should be. We are in a climate and ecological emergency. If we want life to continue, the only viable option is an end to the industries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, animal suffering and environmental destruction. Ending the animal farming and fishing industries won’t be easy and requires the courage of our rebels to openly challenge our toxic system in civil disobedience. Of course, this means breaking the law but, as our friends at Extinction Rebellion say, “If your house is on fire, you break[…]
“I’m in. Are you?” Leigh Venus’ Account of Animal Rebellion at Vegan Camp Out 2019
*Update 8/11/2021* *Originally published 9 September 2019* On the final, hot weekend of August, Animal Rebellion made a huge impact at the world’s largest vegan camping festival, the Vegan Campout 2019. At their colourful stall, sunflower-yellow flags flapped in the breeze, people queued for guerrilla t-shirt printing, and volunteers signed up en-masse to join the rebellion. Here on Saturday morning, amongst nearly 7,000 campers from across the world, I kicked off a day of activism talks to a room packed with nearly 1,000 people who took time out from the food, music and sunshine to hear from a range of speakers about getting active for the animals. Speaking on behalf of animal rights organisation Anonymous for the Voiceless (AV), I talked about the[…]