Animal Rebellion

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Animal Rebellion
Logo Animal Rebellion.png
FormationJune 2019; 2 years ago (2019-06)
Founded atLondon
PurposeClimate change mitigation, plant-based food system
HeadquartersLondon
AffiliationsExtinction Rebellion
Volunteers
100 organisers
Websiteanimalrebellion.org
Animal Rebellion sticker referencing zoonotic disease, Ireland.

Animal Rebellion is an animal and climate justice movement with the stated aim of compelling government action towards a plant-based food system. Their justification for the introduction of such a system is the impact of animal agriculture on climate change, species extinction and ecosystem breakdown. It has around 100 organisers and was founded in London in June 2019 by 12 people, including Daniel Kidby, Dora Hargitai, and Alex Lockwood of the University of Sunderland.[1][2]

Animal Rebellion use civil disobedience methods that sometimes get them arrested. These include graffiti, trespassing onto livestock industry premises, and street blockades. The movement states on it website that it is nonviolent and focuses its actions on systems, not individuals.[3] Animal Rebellion often marches in protests together with Extinction Rebellion.

Protests[]

From 7 October 2019 to 19 October, Animal Rebellion organised a wave of civil disobedience in London and Berlin, in parallel to Extinction rebellion protests. Animal Rebellion protested in front of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture,[4] at Smithfield meat market,[5][6] the largest UK meat market, and Billingsgate Fish Market,[7] and at an abattoir in Farnborough, Hampshire, leading to several dozen arrests for obstruction of traffic and "obstruction or disruption of a person engaged in lawful activity".[7][8] They reported that the abattoir protest was to highlight the role the farming industry plays in the climate crisis, as well as animal welfare issues and the conditions for abattoir workers.[9]

In 2020, Animal Rebellion staged protests in the UK, Ireland and the Czech Republic in September.[10][11][12][13][14][15] In London, they dyed the Trafalgar Square fountain red, resulting in two arrests.[16] In October, Animal Rebellion protested in Berlin (Germany) and Auckland (New Zealand).[17][18]

An Animal Rebellion protest in Berlin, Germany.

Animal Rebellion protesters blocked the entrance of a Tnuva dairy logistics centre in Petah Tikva, Israel, in February 2021.[19] Similarly, Animal Rebellion blocked the entrances of four McDonald's UK distribution centres in May 2021, demanding the fast-food chain go entirely plant-based by 2025. An Animal Rebellion spokesperson said that what others call sustainable meat is insufficient to mitigate the climate crisis.[20][21] In July 2021, the group blocked the entrance to OSI Food Solutions, in Scunthorpe.[22] They say that the factory is the "only UK factory that makes McDonald’s burgers."[23] Like the protest in May, they demanded the chain change their menu to entirely plant-based food by 2025. [24] On 28 August 2021, they coordinated a protest with Camp Beagle at Smithfield Market in London.[25] During that month they also held a 'McSitin' at Leicester Square, dyed the fountain in front of Buckingham Palace red and blocked the trucks of Arla's biggest UK dairy processing plant which is in Aylesbury. [26] [27] [28] In October 2021, protesters climbed the Home Office building.[29]

References[]

  1. ^ Partos, Hannah (15 September 2019). "How Sunday lunch at nan's led to a vegan's battle against the climate crisis". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Alex Lockwood". University of Sunderland. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Strategy – Animal Rebellion". Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Klimaaktivisten blockieren Potsdamer Platz und Großen Stern". www.rbb24.de (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  5. ^ Francis, Sam (8 October 2019). "Climate activists blockade Smithfield meat market". BBC. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  6. ^ Taylor, Matthew (16 August 2019). "Animal Rebellion activists to blockade UK's biggest meat market". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Arrests after fish market protests". BBC News. 12 October 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Three charged over Animal Rebellion abattoir demo". BBC. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Charges dropped over Animal Rebellion protest". BBC. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  10. ^ Chiorando, Maria. "U.K Government Told: 'Stop Ignoring Link Between Animal Farming And Climate Crisis'". Vegan News, Plant Based Living, Food, Health & more. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  11. ^ "V úterý začíná rebelie Spolu za život hnutí Animal Rebellion. Uskuteční se hladovky i občanské neposlušnosti | 31. 8. 2020". Britské listy (in Czech). 31 August 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Animal activists stage protest at pig processing site". Farmers Weekly. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Extinction Rebellion: More than 300 arrested at London climate protests". BBC News. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  14. ^ "'Animal Rebellion' stage a 'rooftop protest' at the Department of Agriculture". Irish Times. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  15. ^ Crosson, Kayle (14 September 2020). "Affiliated Extinction Rebellion group call for a radical change to agriculture". Green News Ireland. GreenNews.ie. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Trafalgar Square fountains: Two arrested over red dye protest". BBC News. 11 July 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Klimaaktivisten blockieren Potsdamer Platz und Großen Stern". www.rbb24.de (in German). Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  18. ^ "Vegan activists protest outside Fonterra headquarters". Newshub. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  19. ^ Surkes, Sue. "Animal rights activists block logistics center of dairy giant Tnuva". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 8 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ "McDonald's: Animal rights group blockades depots, activists say". BBC News. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  21. ^ "UK animal rights group blockades four McDonald's depots". The Guardian. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021. An Animal Rebellion spokesperson, James Ozden, said the action was aimed at calling out the animal agriculture industry for its part in the global climate crisis. “The meat and dairy industry is destroying our planet: causing huge amounts of rainforest deforestation, emitting immense quantities of greenhouse gases and killing billions of animals each year,” he said. “The only sustainable and realistic way to feed 10 billion people is with a plant-based food system. Organic, free-range and ‘sustainable’ animal-based options simply aren’t good enough.”{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "McDonald's blockade: Animal Rebellion protest at burger factory". BBC News. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  23. ^ "Protesters blockade 'only factory in the UK that produces burgers for McDonald's'". LBC. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  24. ^ "Animal Rebellion blockades McDonald's burger factory in Scunthorpe in climate crisis protest". Sky News. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  25. ^ Phillips, Alexa (28 August 2021). "Animal Rebellion: Hundreds of animal rights protesters linked to Extinction Rebellion stop traffic in London". Sky News. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  26. ^ "Police arrive as Animal Rebellion protesters take over McDonald's in Leicester Square and plan to stay until 6am". Newsflare. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  27. ^ "Animal Rebellion paints Buckingham Palace fountain red". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  28. ^ "Animal Rebellion protesters blockade UK's largest dairy factory". Independent. Retrieved 20 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ "COP26: Animal Rebellion protesters climb Defra and Home Office building with message for world leaders". Sky News. Retrieved 26 October 2021.

External links[]

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