- Between midday and 1pm on Saturday 3rd September, protestors from Animal Rebellion entered a Whole Foods store in London, Marks & Spencer’s stores in Southampton, Birmingham, and Manchester.
- This comes after supporters of the group emptied out milk onto the floor of Harrods in July, gaining widespread media coverage [1].
- These actions come as the government refused multiple calls for dialogue early this year [2].
Animal Rebellion is calling for the Government to support farmers and fishing communities in a transition to plant-based food production, and to use the land freed up for rewilding as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon draw-down.
The protests involved people sitting down in the dairy and/or meat aisles of high-end supermarkets with signs that read ‘Plant-Based Future’ and ‘Rewild our Land’.
Max, who took part in the protest at Marks & Spencer in Manchester, said:
“This is not how I want to spend my weekend, but as the Government is failing to respond to our climate, ecological and moral crises, I no longer feel I have a choice. Earlier this summer more than 60 homes and businesses burnt down when Britain faced record-breaking temperatures and now one-third of Pakistan is underwater from extreme climate-induced flooding.
“A plant-based future is imperative to significantly reduce our environmental impact and free up vast amounts of land that could be returned to nature, reversing the sixth mass extinction event we find ourselves in and extracting harmful emissions out of the atmosphere. There has never been a more important time to make people aware of the link between animal farming and fishing and its destructive impact on our environment.”
Robert Gordon, who occupied the dairy section of a Whole Foods store near Soho, London, said:
“Animal farming and fishing are leading causes of our climate and ecological crises. Supermarkets like Whole Foods claim to be environmentally conscious, yet they continue to stock from the destructive meat, fish, and dairy industries. With this sit-in today, we are making a clear statement that only a plant-based food system can alleviate the threat posed by climate breakdown.
“The minor inconvenience caused by our actions pales in comparison to the consequences of climate breakdown which is already happening globally. Earlier this summer, record-breaking temperatures in the UK saw the busiest day for firefighters in London since the Second World War; whilst drought is putting millions of lives on the line in the Horn of Africa. Our Government must act now to support farmers in a transition to a plant-based food system and rewild the freed-up land as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon draw-down.”
The action today comes as part of Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future, which were announced on Monday 23rd of May [3]. The animal and climate group is urging for wholesale governmental support for farmers and fishing communities to transition to a plant-based food system and programme of rewilding that will secure a future for generations to come.
Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system.
ENDS
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High-quality pictures and videos: https://show.pics.io/animal-rebellion-breaking-news-/search?tagId=62f682247a65950012f2b629
For interviews or further comment please contact:
pressoffice@animalrebellion.org
Notes To Editors:
[1] https://animalrebellion.org/animal-rebellion-pour-milk-on-floor-of-harrods-as-part-of-plant-based-future-campaign/ [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s and https://animalrebellion.org/supporters-of-animal-rebellion-deliver-demands-for-a-plant-based-future-to-downing-street/