Reflections on Rebellion – How People Power can Take the World By Storm

The recent documentary Rebellion tells the story of how Extinction Rebellion went from a vision to a global movement. This blog post reflects on the theory of change behind both Extinction and Animal Rebellion and how we can build transformative people power. 

What if I told you that one book held the answers to achieving positive social change? Would you believe me? When I first picked up a book that claimed to do just that, I was sceptical. I was at a stage of my life where, after becoming aware of the scale of injustice affecting animals, humans and our planet, I was increasingly desperate for any glimmer of hope that change could happen. 

I remember spending hours and days thinking and talking to friends about what we could do to make change when, one day I stumbled upon a book in a bargain bookshop that changed everything. Years later as I dedicate my time to helping grow Animal Rebellion, it seems almost unbelievable that this very book, which came into my hands so coincidentally, is the very same book that inspired the creation of XR and the subsequent birth of Animal Rebellion. So, what is the research that lies behind Animal Rebellion and Extinction Rebellion and how can one book be so influential?

The book I found that day was ‘This is an Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt is Shaping the Twenty-First Century,’ written by two brothers: Mark and Paul Engler. The Engler brothers are writers, organisers and social movement researchers who explore the recent history of protest across the world and present a model of social change based on strategic nonviolence and momentum organising. Momentum is a form of social movement which combines structure-based organising with the goal of creating mass moments of mobilisation, where millions of people rise up to demand change. 

In their book, the Engler brothers use examples from movements such as the Indian Independence Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the Serbian ‘Otpor’ Movement and the Arab Spring to show how innovative, creative tactics can topple the ‘pillars of power’ of a corrupt or unjust regime and inspire enough people to take action for change. How much is enough? The book quotes research by political scientist Erica Chenoweth which finds that no movement which has mobilised 3.5% of the population in sustained, active participation has failed to achieve its aims. 

Not only that, ‘This is An Uprising’ makes a case for strategic nonviolence, again citing research by Chenoweth showing that nonviolent movements are twice as likely to be successful in their aims as violent ones, a figure which is illustrated by examples from movements which have acted nonviolently for both morally and strategic reasons. 

These movements have managed to be more inclusive than their violent counterparts and, importantly, have been able to build public sympathy for the cause and highlight the unjust nature of state violence and repression. For me, this book opened up a whole new world, one which was filled with people who were asking the same questions that I was about how we can make change happen. And, it wasn’t long before the lessons in the book were playing out right in front of my eyes.

For many, the early days of Extinction Rebellion were a transformative and incredible experience. The urgency of the climate crisis paired with the conviction that, as the popular chant goes, the people united could never be defeated inspired thousands of people to take to the streets and hundreds to face arrest. 

I watched from the other side of the world and was stunned to see the blueprint laid out in books like ‘This is an Uprising’ come to life. Active popular support + nonviolent action → government declaring a climate emergency within a few months! 

It was at this point that Animal Rebellion began, as a small group of people who realised that the same lessons could be applied to the struggle for animal and climate justice. With the same dream of mobilising 3.5% of the population and the same understanding of tools like mass mobilisation and nonviolent action, Animal Rebellion was formed from a plan with impressive proof of design. But, is social change really something that can be planned in advance?

Chenoweth’s research and the conclusions drawn by Mark and Paul Engler have inspired a flurry of groups who are using the model of Momentum-driven organising to create movements for change. From training organisations like Momentum and the Ayni Institute, to grassroots movements such as the Sunrise Movement; the ‘cycle of momentum’ blueprint – which suggest that large-scale change can be achieved through escalating nonviolent action, active popular support and absorption of volunteers – is proving to be enormously popular around the world. Yet, at the same time, there are a number of challenges that arise when putting the ideas in practice. 

Cycle of Momentum

Research Context/Liberal Democracy Challenge

One of the most common critiques of the application of Chenoweth’s research in the Momentum organising model is the recognition that the context of the research is notably different from the type of movement it is being applied to. The dataset used in Chenoweth’s research focused on movements seeking to ‘overthrow oppressive regimes, resist foreign occupations, and to secede from a state.’ This is a different context from the one movements like Animal Rebellion and Extinction Rebellion find themselves in, leading to questions about the relevance of the findings and, particularly, the 3.5% rule. In a 2016 interview, Erica Chenoweth stated: “if a nonviolent campaign is aiming for… economic and social justice reforms… Do we see the same types of success rates of violent and nonviolent action? The answer is we don’t know yet because those types of data collection procedures are not yet fully developed.” 

What this tells us is that, while this research can provide us with valuable knowledge and insight, we’re yet to see whether the roadmap that has proved so effective for movements to overthrow dictators and oppressive regimes will have the same results with our mission for system change in a liberal democracy. 

Additionally, some key features of momentum organising relate to generating public sympathy and support (pg. 18). In previous movements, a key contributor to gaining this kind of support has been the effect of ‘repression backfire,’ where state violence and repression have had the backfire effect of increasing support for the movement. In liberal democracies, repression to protest movements is generally a lot less visible than in oppressive regimes. Violent responses are rare (although not unheard of and are a frequent reality for marginalised communities and, particularly, LGBT+ and BIPOC individuals). State repression often occurs behind the scenes, including through an incomprehensible legal system which has the effect of tying up protestors in endless court proceedings, which often end up with cases being dropped or thrown out. 

The tactics that work so effectively against oppressive regimes can fall flat in the political context of the UK. We can see this in the changing of policing tactics following April 2019, which led to significantly decreased media coverage for following rebellions and a large number of unlawful arrests.  

Mobilisation Challenge

Another challenge that arises is one of mobilisation. When movements are focused on ending a repressive regime or bringing down a corrupt dictator, this is something that generally affects almost the entire population. Srdja Popovic, one of the leaders of the Serbian Otpor movement, talks about creating a ‘line of division,’ where your messaging clearly speaks to the vast majority of the population, with only the clear villains being on the other side of the line disagreeing with you. The effects of a repressive regime are immediate and visible, they are being felt right at that moment by the people the movement is trying to mobilise. A challenge for movements operating in other contexts is trying to replicate that same sense of personal investment, often without the corresponding direct impacts. 

While movements like Occupy and Extinction Rebellion achieved this to a certain extent, mobilising vast amounts of people to demand change, an ongoing struggle for groups like these has been in sustaining this kind of active participation. In the West, we’ll often see a surge of climate action surrounding extreme weather events, particularly ones affecting other Western countries such as the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires. 

Between these upsurges of interest however, social movements mostly ‘operate on the margins of success with burnout a common companion to mobilisation’. Momentum organising talks about manufacturing ‘moments of the whirlwind,’  ‘explosions’ where many people suddenly care about your issue. However, it seems obvious that these moments are more likely to take root when people are being directly effected by the focus of your movement. Without the direct effects of a repressive regime being observable to everyone, the challenge of reaching 3.5% active participation is a significant one. This only becomes more challenging when movements seek to advocate for other-than-humans, including movements for animal and climate justice. 

The Frontloading Challenge

A final challenge I’ll touch on is the focus that movements following the Momentum Model place on ‘frontloading.’ Frontloading is defined as “engaging in serious, strategic planning,” and “visioning our future while anticipating problems that will come up, so people can make aligned decisions without command and control.” This refers to organisations taking a period of time, generally 12 months or so, to plan out their story, structure, strategy and culture, with the understanding that this will enable the movement to build rapid momentum, mobilisation and escalation while maintaining strong processes, organisation and support structures for people and the organisation. 

If we look to current understandings of social change however, we can see that a dominant model of social movements is the ‘framing’ model which regards ‘creating a movement… (as) a cultural enterprise: an idea only ‘moves’ a group if it has cultural resonance.” What will have this resonance is difficult, if not impossible to predict. 

Additionally, in a fast-changing environment and media landscape, something which is relevant and important to people will be out of date six months later. This runs the risk of organisations investing a significant amount of resources (time, money, people) into building a movement which may entirely fail to capture the energy and attention of the public. 

So is there a golden rule for social change? Theories on social change have evolved over time. Early on, sociologists believed that social movements arose out of discontent which evolved into a belief that a successful movement depended on who could mobilise the right resources (money, people and time) to achieve a desired aim. In the last decade, a body of work referred to as ‘new social movement theory’ has attempted to explain the occurrence of recent social movements by understanding social movements as a “cultural enterprise” which succeed by creating an “injustice frame” which highlights a problem, a solution and a way that people can be part of change. 

Current understanding in sociology is that we can’t predict when a social movement will form or if it will be successful. This tells us that, while theories like Momentum are useful models, ultimately there is no golden rule or blueprint for change which will be successful every time. However, drawing together knowledge from a range of sources, there are some things we can say with some confidence:

• The best people to mobilise are closer than you think! A theme across social movement research is that movements succeed in mobilising when active participants are inspired and engaged enough to then mobilise their own friends and families. We can learn from this and focus on giving our base the skills and, importantly, the passion to show those around them why change is needed and why what we’re doing is important. 

• A strong, unified vision and messaging that connects to shared values is how we can unite people behind a common goal. Movements with a clear vision and that connect to people’s values, fears and desires are the movements that succeed in overcoming challenges and adapting to change.

• If you want to achieve mass mobilisation and create lasting change, nonviolence is the best way to go.

• There are many theories of change and many ways we have seen change happen over time. By learning from a variety of sources and movements and by remaining flexible, adapting to current situations and not being afraid to innovate, we can learn from the past and build new methods of change that are the best fit for the society we’re living in. 

Books like ‘This is an Uprising’ give us important insight which we can use to inspire our campaigns and strategy. What can be even more important though is what we learn when we take these theories and see how they play out on the streets. The relationship between activism and academia can be one of symbiosis where each group grows and thrives alongside one another. While there might not be one silver bullet solution for social change, what does exist is an incredible passion, determination and an extraordinary amount of skills and knowledge. All the movements written about in books like this weren’t following an exact blueprint. They, like us, were learning as they went and using tools and lessons from history to shape pathways forward that made sense in the context they were in. If we come together, aren’t afraid to try new things and learn from our mistakes and successes, what can’t we do? 

You can watch the Rebellion documentary on Netflix 

Keen to start rebelling and be part of a movement for change? Actions will be happening in London from the 9th – 17th April. Find out more and say you’ll be there by joining our Facebook event here: https://fb.me/e/2lLxYQmBO

You can join our telegram broadcast: https://t.me/joinchat/s17vhYFQ3qY5YTBk

Or our https://chat.whatsapp.com/HYcMc8iZ140BPOxE6yhp09

The post How Change Happens first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

• Protestors from Animal Rebellion have prevented trucks from leaving at London’s last remaining slaughterhouse in Hackney Wick, disrupting its operation
• The group have climbed onto the truck and are demanding the slaughterhouse shut down
• This action is part of local campaign Gardens not Slaughterhouses which wants to see the location transformed into community gardens

Animal Rebellion campaigners are calling for an end to the last slaughterhouse in London in a protest against climate change and animal suffering. Early this morning, Gardens Not Slaughterhouses campaigners blocked the trucks coming out of the Kedassia chicken slaughterhouse in East London, disrupting its operations. The protestors have climbed an empty truck, preventing it from leaving. Those involved said that they waited for the chickens to be taken inside before blockading the entrance so as to not prolong their suffering, but are now disrupting the operations of Kedassia slaughterhouse.

Miranda Whelan, a spokesperson for Animal Rebellion, said “We need to build a just and sustainable future by replacing slaughterhouses, which kill gentle and intelligent animals and damage the environment, with community gardens. Gardens improve the wellbeing of the local people and allow them to grow healthy, sustainable food. We are demanding that Kedassia shut down and let this land be used for something that will benefit the whole community.”

Animal agriculture contributes at least 18% of global emissions, 70% of agricultural emissions and up to 80% of global deforestation. Slaughterhouses also use high amounts of water – ‘between 6 and 30 cubic metres per tonne of product.’ Today’s action is part of a campaign to demand that it be replaced by a community garden, amidst local efforts to make London greener and more sustainable.

Every year in the UK, 950 million of the 1.1 billion land animals killed for food are birds. Kedassia, a slaughterhouse on Smeed Road in the borough of Tower Hamlets, kills thousands of chickens every week. Poultry slaughterhouses release large amounts of waste into the environment, found the Food and Agriculture Organisation, contaminating lands and and surface waters, causing a serious human-health risk. 

Bel Jacobs, a local resident, said “I’m a mother and I know that our kids need a space to learn how to grow vegetables, not kill birds. Community gardens would give us a much-needed green space and a social hub where everyone can meet and connect.”

The protestors ensured that no chickens were inside the truck when it was stopped, to avoid prolonging the birds’ suffering.

Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system. To find out more about Animal Rebellion visit our website: https://animalrebellion.org/

Interview opportunities and photos

For interviews, photo opportunities or further information, contact the following spokespeople:

Bel Jacobs: 07 876 636 244 (at the action)

Oliver (Press Back Office): 07706 066859

Photos: https://show.pics.io/chickens-623a6ace4f3fa6001276307e

Email: pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

Website: animalrebellion.org

The post Protestors block London’s last slaughterhouse to demand community gardens first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

• Protestors from Animal Rebellion have used fire extinguishers to spray the London headquarters of  the Marine Stewardship Council blood red and have dumped red paint inside the office.
• They are holding placards reading ‘MSC – Stop Certifying Destruction’ and ‘Protect the Seas – End Fishing’.
• Animal Rebellion are demanding that all MSC certified fisheries stop all fishing to stop ocean destruction. 
• Animal Rebellion demands a just transition for workers to a sustainable plant-based food system.

Four people have sprayed the headquarters of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blood red, to call on the organisation to stop certifying the fishing industry and support a just transition to sustainable industries.

Protestors from the non-violent direct action group Animal Rebellion used modified fire extinguishers to spray the building red, before sitting down in the paint holding placards reading Protect the Seas – End Fishing and MSC – Stop Certifying Destruction.

Orla Coghlan, a spokesperson for the organisation who attended the action today, said: “Evidence has shown that our oceans could be empty as soon as 2048 because of fishing. The MSC has a responsibility in their claims to be sustainable. They have a duty to revive the ocean when species are going extinct. The solution to fishless seas and ocean acidification is obvious: the government and the Marine Stewardship Council need to fund a just transition from fishing to sustainable plant-based agriculture, such as seaweed and legumes. The MSC are responsible for ensuring ‘sustainable’ fishing, however scientific evidence has shown that it is not possible to sustainably fish in our seas.”

Animal Rebellion demands that all MSC certified fisheries stop fishing immediately in order to reverse the depletion of our oceans. They also demand MSC to stop handing out ‘ecolabels’ to supermarkets and fisheries that have been proven to contribute to marine destruction.

This protest follows increased scrutiny of the Marine Stewardship Council following the 2021 film Seaspiracy, which exposed troubling systemic flaws in the labelling scheme. The film, which was released a year ago this Thursday, pointed to the inherent conflict of interest involved: the MSC is funded by the licensing fees paid by certified fisheries and supermarkets, a model that other labelling schemes such as RSPCA Assured and Red Tractor also adopt.

In 2016 a leaked report from WWF who co-founded the MSC in 1997 pointed to “troubling, systemic flaws,” in the certification scheme while last year the director of the WWF Mediterranean marine initiative stated that he “would not trust all of the fisheries to be sustainable.”

“Despite increasing warnings of imminent climate catastrophe, these certifiers continue to promote these destructive industries.” Said Animal Rebellion spokesperson, Harley McDonald-Eckersall. “We’re here today to demand that they stop the hypocrisy and stop condoning an industry that is destroying the planet and killing the animals they claim to protect. A fully just, sustainable plant-based food system is the only way forward.”

What’s next?

Animal Rebellion is demanding that the Marine Stewardship Council stops all fishing in its fisheries and stop handing out ‘ecolabels’ to supermarkets and fisheries that have been proven to contribute to marine destruction.

Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system.

Interview opportunities and photos

For interviews, photo opportunities or further information, contact the following spokespeople:

Harley McDonald-Eckersall: 07 869 287 923 (at the protest)

Orla Coghlan: 07 414 838 444 (at the protest)

Oliver (Press Back Office): 07706 066859

Photos: https://pics.io/search?tagId=6237175d7a86c5001a6a1c12

Email: pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

Website: animalrebellion.org

The post Animal Rebellion paints the Marine Stewardship Council red to demand the end of fishing first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Read Alan’s story

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Become an arrestee

The post The Arrestees first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

January – Saving the world one council at a time

We kicked off the year with our schools and councils campaign, demanding that they do their part to encourage plant-based eating. A total of 74% of councils have declared a climate emergency, yet few are taking steps to reduce food-related emissions. How did we get on? Well, an incredible 10% of UK councils got on board and saw the need to help reduce animal product consumption in their local area. Thanks to the actions taken by Hackney Council alone, an estimated 92,000 animal lives will be saved each year, not to mention 490 tonnes of CO2! 

April – Challenging the school menu

We demanded that the Department of Education introduce plant-based foods in school canteens, an initiative which will aid them to do their part in helping meet climate targets while encouraging young people to establish healthier eating patterns and save money! Several councils from Brighton to Somerset worked with ProVeg to promote more plant-based meals in schools.

May – McDonalds brought to a halt

That’s right, we blockaded all four McDonald’s UK distribution centres, which supply approximately 1300 restaurants! We called for, and continue to call for, McDonald’s, one of the biggest symbols of the animal agriculture industry, to offer a fully plant-based menu by 2025. 

Why? McDonald’s is an enormous contributor to climate change by selling such environmentally destructive foods at ridiculously low prices, and is also known for its poor track-record on animal cruelty and workers rights. We say no! Over 100 protestors blockaded the site for 24 hours, fighting for human, animal and climate justice. 

June – G7 Presence in Cornwall

We made sure our voices were heard at the G7 Summit taking place in Cornwall. Around 50 people peacefully occupied both indoor and outdoor seating at the McDonald’s in Falmouth. 

July –  Big Mac crisis 

Animal Rebellion blockaded McDonald’s only UK burger factory and halted production for over 24 hours! Tents and gazebos were set up as a camp and our brave activists secured themselves to bamboo structures outside the building and occupied the roof, setting an unofficial world record of 62 hours up a beacon! We were met with support from former employees of OSI Foods, who described horrendous working conditions and from the locals who rallied to show support and provided food and essentials.

August –  All night occupation

Sick of us yet Mcdonald’s? In August 50 protestors spent the night at the Leicester Square branch of McDonald’s as we repeated our demand for a transition to a plant-based menu! From 6pm onwards we occupied the restaurant and aimed to start conversations with customers about the destruction caused by McDonald’s and the impact of the fast-food industry.

Buckingham Palace Protest 

That’s right! We dyed the iconic Buckingham Palace fountains blood red in a protest against use of crown land for hunting and animal agriculture.

We demanded that the Queen put an end to the use of crown land for industries which are contributing to the climate and ecological emergency and the death of animals. It’s time for a new system based on justice and compassion and the royal family should be leading the way. 

National Animal Rights March

We were joined by numerous animal rights groups and activists to stand up for animals loud and clear. We marched from Smithfield Market, stopping at Unilever, Cargill and MSC and through central London, mobilising thousands of people and celebrating all that has been achieved for animals and the large amount of work still left to do.

Arla Action
To end our August Rebellion, 50 rebels blockaded Arla, the UK´s biggest milk factory, calling for an end to dairy production. Dairy corporations, including Arla, together emitted more greenhouse gases in 2017 than major polluters such as BHP and ConocoPhillips, and the industry also undoubtedly abuses animals on a large scale. We demanded that the government supports companies like Arla by funding a fair transition for workers in meat and dairy industries to just and sustainable alternatives.

October – COP 26 Protest 

Animal Rebellion protestors scaled the face of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Ahead of the COP 26 Climate change conference, we urged leaders to ‘defund meat’ and invest in plant-based alternatives instead.

We called out our government’s hypocrisy, as they claim to be world leaders in climate change whilst propping up the unsustainable and environmentally destructive meat and dairy industries with at least  £1.5 billion a year in subsidies. We called for an end to this and sent a clear message to world leaders attending COP26 later that month!

What a year! And we are ready for even bigger and better things in 2022. Find a role that’s right for you and get involved with Animal Rebellion now. Let’s bid goodbye to the year with some wise words from Margaret Mead.

‘’Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’’

The post Animal Rebellion’s 2021 Roundup! first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

During the civil rights movement, people organised and defied the unjust laws that separated Black people from equal freedom and rights with white people. The racist laws included affected all elements of society. They included the segregation of public transport which meant that Black people were often obliged to sit at the back of the bus, even when the front was empty and were forced to give up their seat for white customers. A young girl rebelled, refused to give up her seat and was arrested however due to her youth and status she was largely ignored. She wasn’t alone though.  A movement was growing and, soon after, a woman, Rosa Parks, took nonviolent direct action  by refusing to give up her seat on a bus for a white person. She was also arrested but this time  her actions sparked uproar and people boycotted the buses, organising amongst themselves to travel to and from work by creating taxis among themselves. Their rebellion and economic pressure made the bus company face a dilemma.

This story is one of many examples. The civil rights Movement, 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. Throughout history, people have disobeyed unjust laws to push the creation of just laws. We can learn from their successes.

What is non-violent direct action (aka NVDA)?

NVDA is bold, disruptive, and makes change happen. It is a form of civil disobedience, which means people taking direct action are prepared to face  consequences such as arrests. NVDA aims to hold accountable the government and organisations that hold a high amount of financial and political power. NVDA is organised, well-planned and creative. People put justice and freedom at the centre of the debate by putting their skills, time and energy into crafting a media-catching action. Crucially, a variety of roles support the rebels who are able and willing to break unjust laws, so that people from all walks of life can help build impactful nonviolent direct actions. No matter how much time you have, you can find a role within the movement.

NDVA is one theory of how change happens within the movement for climate and animal justice. We respect and can support other organisations who have the same aim but different ways of achieving their goals. We are a sister movement to Extinction Rebellion which also uses NVDA, and we focus our demand on a just and sustainable plant-based future.

Direct action serves several functions

Why would power-holders change the status-quo, if meat, fish and dairy lobbies support them through close financial and social ties? Why would the institutions whose one and only goal is to make profit agree to expand their circle of concern beyond their self-interest, for the sake of making the world better? Why would they truly take responsibility and do more than greenwashing, if we don’t use our own power to disrupt them? Direct action can serve the following purposes:

– (SHOWING) PEOPLE HAVE POWER by withdrawing our consent to the political decisions made. People empower themselves to act to create a better future. We are more than voters, we can propose solutions to the big problems of our time.

– PUTTING THE ISSUE INTO THE SPOTLIGHT, which makes ordinary people think about it. It asks the pressing question: is our demand and the current system morally right or wrong?

– CAUSING ECONOMIC PRESSURE. For instance by blocking a burger patties factory, we disrupt the company, which prevents them from making money on the back of animals on that day.

– OFFICIAL POWERS FACE A DILEMMA: They can either repress us to keep business as usual, or listen to the people and make positive changes. Even if these changes are uncomfortable, it is still better than the pressure of the media and the need to deal with the disruption.

– SO THAT STATES AND CORPORATIONS ADAPT. By displaying a positive vision we are creating a plan, an alternative to the current problematic system, that corporations and states can follow.

NVDA for a just plant-based food system

Much (social justice) progress in history was achieved thanks to civil disobedience. NVDA is one type of civil disobedience. In 1930, Gandhi led the Salt March   in protest against the unjust tax of the British empire across all of India. Millions of Indians joined him in this act of civil disobedience which precipitated the movement for Indian Independence which succeeded in 1947.

This did not happen overnight and required strategic planning, collaboration and sacrifice, but they did it! In South Africa, people organised and rose against the unfair Apartheid – and, ultimately, they achieved real change.

When you think about it, it kind of makes sense: Strong institutions and profit-making companies won’t give people more rights freely, if it means more equality and less profit and power for them. And yet, we can see examples of where people rising up for change has led to power holders giving over more freedom because of movements for justice.  We can see this in the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, the Arab Spring and  marriage equality. When facing such strong power-holders, the people can choose to obey unjust laws. Or we can choose civil disobedience, which grants us the power to disrupt.

Since they don’t listen to legal protests and only make unambitious decisions, we have to act. If not now, when? If not you, who? Too long have we waited for a plant-based world.

A human spills fake blood in a royal fountain. Another climbs up, up in the air to stay over 62 hours in a bamboo structure that will block the supply chain of a fast food company. What’s next? The aim is a just and sustainable plant-based food system that nourishes everyone.

The responsibility to care and act?

Only a few people decide how much to subsidise animal farming and fishing, and how much to invest in a fair transition to sustainable plant-based agricultural practises. These choices have dire consequences for all of us. Yet we are not happy with their slow reactions in the face of the climate crisis and the injustice to animals killed for food. We will not let them have the fate of billions of animals, humans included, in their hands. We will not let them waste public money to try to prevent an obsolete system of animal agriculture and overfishing from falling into pieces. We want to build a better system.

When scientists warned us about the causes of global heating and found that other animals can feel and build strong relationships, we voiced our concerns about animal agriculture and fishing. We walked the streets, we wrote to our MPs. When scientists found that a plant-based food system is a viable solution to the climate and environmental emergency, we gave talks. We shared leaflets and our favorite plant-based recipes. We even sometimes spoke with politicians.

These steps/activities are great but we need more to achieve a fair food transition. The current political and food systems are not just nor sustainable. We cannot wait until every person decides to go plant-based because this avoids thinking about the privilege, the food deserts and the barriers to change that we face (how about schools, offices…). Yet, every week that passes with animals behind bars and sent to death instead of freedom is unnecessary when a system that is more just for all life and our planet is out there.

Building mass movement for a just plant-based future.

Together we are powerful. We have skills and passion that are the building blocks of our movement.

Join us by giving your time to enact effective and sustainable change! We are a decentralised movement and welcome your NVDA, as long as it fits with our demands and our principles. Your background and location do not matter.

Help fuel the rebellion and support arrestees with a donation.

Further reading

This is an uprising by Mark and Paul Engler. Explains the theory to build social movements, drawing on historical examples.

TED talk The success on nonviolent civil resistance (13min) by Erica Chenoweth.

Don’t think of an elephant by George Lakoff, Howard Dean and Don Hazen.

More examples of civil disobedience that won.

The example of the freedom riders in the civil rights movement.

The post What Is Non-Violent Direct Action And How Will It Make Us Win? first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Animal Rebellion

31/08/21 – 22PM

BREAKING : POLICE DENY BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS AT ARLA BLOCKADE

• UK’s largest dairy factory shut down for more than 19 hours
• Police have denied the protesters’ basic rights such as food, shelter and medications
• Over 350 arrests have happened during the ‘Impossible Rebellion’ around London

During the early morning hours, 50 climate activists from Animal Rebellion began the blockade of an Arla factory, in Aylesbury. They are demanding the largest dairy producer in the UK to go plant-based by 2025 and to fund a just transition for its workers.

The first protesters were taken away around noon, as police cutting teams arrived on site and removed activists from one of the bamboo structures. All protestors were removed from blockades by 10:30pm after almost 20 hours. The group then camped at the site overnight.

30 protesters were locked-on to stop the production and distribution of dairy and expose the impact of dairies and the need to swiftly transition to plant based production. The protestors expressed that they intended to hold the blockade, until Arla responded to their demand. Non-violent demonstrators were prepared with tents and food; however, they report the police denied their basic rights. They began by separating the activists who were locked-on from supporters.

Animal Rebellion shared via Twitter, “At around 10am, police began erecting a cordon around lock-ons and are refusing to allow access to wellbeing to ‘rebels’ in the blockade.”

Police then further violated the rights of the protesters by taking away their food and shelter.

“They have stolen a sandwich from one of our locked-on rebels”, said social media posts from spokespeople, “And have now removed umbrellas and tarps off lock-ons and taped off the blockade from all supporters, including those providing first aid and wellbeing.”

Animal Rebellion says spirits are high despite heavy policing. These maneuvers follow the arrest of over 350 climate protesters in London during the ‘Impossible Rebellion’, including the raid of activists’ home and their posterior arrest on Sunday and the arrest of 36 people during the occupation of a Central McDonald’s last week.

LINK TO PHOTOS

The post Breaking: Police Deny Basic Human Rights At ARLA Blockade first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Animal Rebellion Press Release

31st 08 2021

CLIMATE ACTIVISTS BLOCKADE UK’S BIGGEST MILK FACTORY CALLING FOR AN END TO DAIRY

LINK TO PICTURE FILE

• 50 climate activists from Animal Rebellion have blockaded the largest dairy factory in the UK

• Arla supplies 10% of UK milk and 2.7 million litres a day

In the early hours of this morning, protestors occupied the distribution centre of Arla Foods, the multinational company who are one of the largest manufacturers of dairy in the world. 30 activists are locked onto bamboo structures and concrete barricades. The factory provides 10% of the milk supply for the UK with 150 vehicles delivering raw milk each day and 1.1 billion litres being produced every year. 

Animal Rebellion is a non-violent movement which has previously gained attention for using civil disobedience to demand that companies transition to a plant-based food system. They are calling on Arla to transition to plant-based production by 2025 to address the catastrophic impacts dairy production has on the climate and animals. Protestors have stated they plan to continue blockading the factory until Arla makes a commitment to end dairy production and fund a just transition for its workers. 

James Ozden, a spokesperson for Animal Rebellion, said about the blockade: “The recent IPCC report issued a code red warning on the impacts of the climate crisis. It spoke of a need for urgent action from our government to address carbon emissions, including methane which is in large part a byproduct of animal farming. Companies like Arla claim to be leading the way in tackling the climate crisis, yet until these big multinationals start to talk seriously about the inevitable need to transition our food system to one that is plant-based, their words are empty.” 

Thirteen of the world’s largest dairy corporations, including Arla, together emitted more greenhouse gases in 2017 than major polluters BHP and ConocoPhillips, mining and oil giants respectively. In the next decade, extreme weather is expected to lead to unstable crop supplies for the 2.65 million dairy cows in the UK while higher temperatures will mean that dairy cows are expected to be exposed to heat stress for two extra months in the year. The climate crisis means that supplying the demand for cows’ milk will soon be simply unviable.

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“The dairy industry abuses animals, the planet and workers, who are increasingly squeezed by big business”, said Ozden, “Arla say they’re pro-worker but lobby for supermarket contracts that sell milk for less than water. We’re not just demanding that Arla go plant-based by 2025, we’re demanding that the government supports companies like Arla by funding a just transition for workers in meat and dairy industries to just and sustainable alternatives.”

What’s NEXT

Animal Rebellion is demanding that Arla go plant-based by 2025 and support a just transition for its workers.

Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system. Today’s events are part of the ‘Rebellion’ – two weeks of direct action demanding urgent action from the government on the climate and ecological emergency. 

Interview opportunities and photos

LINK TO PICTURE FILE

The post Climate Activists Blockade UK’s Biggest Milk Factory Calling For An End To Dairy first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

• Animal Rebellion bloque actuellement l’unique usine de burger de McDonald’s au Royaume-Uni, qui produit 3 millions de steaks de bœuf par jour pour 3.5 millions de clients quotidiens.
• Les manifestant-e-s déclarent qu’ils et elles sont préparé-e-s à rester aussi longtemps qu’il le faudra pour causer une perturbation massive dans l’approvisionnement de McDonald’s et encourager les travailleur-se-s et supporters à les rejoindre dans leur occupation.
• Deux mois avant ce blocage, Animal Rebellion a fermé les 4 centres de distribution de McDonald’s, ce qui avait causé des pénuries de nourritures et des fermetures de magasins pour la chaîne de fast-food internationale.
• Animal Rebellion demande à McDonald’s de changer pour que son menu soit intégralement végétal en 2025.

Animal Rebellion lance un appel à la population à « amener leurs tentes » et à venir à Scunthorpe, bloquer une usine qui produit tous les steaks de bœuf emblématiques au Royaume-Uni, avec 3 millions de burgers produits chaque jour.

Environ 100 manifestant-e-s ont organisé un blocage en utilisant des camions, des tentes, des structures de bambous et une occupation de toit à l’aube ce matin pour stopper la distribution de burgers de l’établissement. Les manifestant-e-s ont dit qu’ils et elles resteront autant qu’il le faudra pour que McDonald’s s’engage à changer vers un menu végétal. Tout le monde est encouragé à rejoindre le campement et à protester contre McDonald’s pour leur palmarès de destruction de l’environnement, leur mauvaises conditions de travail et l’exploitation animale. 

Le professeur Joy Carter, professeur émérite de géochimie et santé de l’université de Winchester, a dit : « Il n’y a pas de deuxième chance pour éviter le dérèglement climatique – nous avons seulement une opportunité pour remédier à cette situation. Nous devons changer radicalement notre système alimentaire et cela doit commencer avec l’industrie de la viande et du lait. Tant que nous n’aurons pas réalisé de changement de système de grande échelle et n’aurons pas bougé vers un système d’alimentation végétal, nous continuerons à détruire notre planète. »

Animal Rebellion, un mouvement de masse qui utilise la désobéissance civile non-violente pour demander un système alimentaire végétal et durable, exige que McDonald’s devienne complètement végétal d’ici 2025. Ils et elles ont dit qu’ils arrêteraient le blocage si McDonald’s fait le premier pas vers ce but en s’engageant à devenir végétal à 20 % d’ici 1 an. Cependant, ils et elles disent que McDonald’s est juste un symbole d’un système qu’ils sont en train d’essayer de changer, l’intégralité de l’industrie de l’élevage. 

Rose Patterson, une porte-parole d’Animal Rebellion, a dit « Nous sommes en train de vivre une période où un changement énorme est possible, mais notre fenêtre pour agir sur la crise climatique se referme très rapidement. Les industries de la viande et du lait sont responsables de 80-90% de la déforestation de l’Amazonie, d’au moins 18% des émissions mondiales, et de l’exploitation et de la mise à mort de milliards d’animaux chaque année. Pour nous sauver nous-même et le futur de nos enfants, nous devons commencer à effectuer la transition vers un système alimentaire végétal. »

Cette manifestation arrive après que le groupe ait fermé les 4 centres de distribution de McDonald’s il y a deux mois, pour dénoncer les industries de la viande et du lait pour leurs rôles dans l’urgence climatique et environnementale, ce qui avait causé une perturbation économique des approvisionnements de McDonald’s.

D’après le rapport de 2019 EAT Lancet, si nous espérons nourrir 10 milliards de personnes et rester dans les frontières planétaires, nous devons réduire la consommation de viande et de lait de 90 % d’ici 2050. Une étude de 2018 des impacts environnementaux de la production de nourriture – la plus complète de ce genre – a trouvé qu’un système alimentaire végétale pourrait réduire l’utilisation de terres agricoles de 76 % et les émissions de gaz à effet de serre de 49 % des niveaux mondiaux actuels.

De plus, le thinktank indépendant RethinkX prédit que 90 % des emplois dans l’industrie de la viande et du lait aux Etats-Unis seront perdus d’ici 2035. Harley McDonald-Eckersall, une porte-parole d’Animal Rebellion dit que « Nous pouvons prédire des impacts similaires au Royaume-Uni car l’industrie effectue une transition rapide vers des options plus durables. Ne pas laisser de côté progressivement l’élevage signifiera des dommages économiques et sociaux, car nous verrons des millions de personnes perdre leurs emplois dans la prochaine décennie. Ce sont de vraies personnes avec de vraies vies : McDonald’s a une responsabilité de provoquer ce changement avant que le choix ne soit retiré de leurs mains. »

Ce qui DOIT se passer maintenant

Ce qui doit advenir par la suite est assez simple: Animal Rebellion est en train de demander que McDonald’s effectue une transition vers un menu complètement végétal et s’engage à être à 20 % végétal d’ici un an.

Actuellement, le gouvernement britannique, et l’industrie agricole, n’ont pas de plan pour réaliser une transition de l’industrie agricole britannique vers un bilan carbone nul d’ici 2050. Néanmoins, si des chaînes comme McDonald’s prennent la responsabilité pour leur rôle dans la crise climatique mondiale, nous pourrons commencer à avancer dans la bonne direction.

Pour rejoindre la rébellion et réclamer un système alimentaire plus durable, visitez notre site maintenant.

The post ANIMAL REBELLION BLOQUE LA SEULE USINE DE BURGERS DE MCDONALDS AU ROYAUME-UNI first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Date: 16/07/2021

UPDATE: ANIMAL REBELLION HOLDS BLOCKADE AT MCDONALD’S ONLY BURGER FACTORY FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS

• An Animal Rebellion blockade at McDonald’s only UK burger factory has halted production for over 24 hours
• Campaigners say they will stay as long as it takes for McDonald’s to listen and respond to their demand for a plant-based menu by 2025
  
• A camp is set up on site with numbers rising throughout Thursday and more expected today.
  
  

Animal Rebellion, a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system, has been camped outside OSI Food Solutions in Scunthorpe since the early hours of Thursday morning.

This site is believed to make three million beef patties per day, for distribution to McDonald’s stores across the country.

The current action at the site is part of a wider campaign calling out the fast food chain for their track record of destroying the environment, poor labour conditions and animal exploitation.

They are demanding McDonald’s move to a plant-based menu by 2025 to protect the future of our planet.

Harley McDonald-Eckersall, who is currently campaigning at the site, said: “We’ve been reaching out to members of the public while we’re here including former employees of OSI, who described horrendous working conditions in the factory. Support and encouragement from local people inspires us to keep the pressure on.

So far, tents and gazebos have been set up to make a camp, with activists also securing themselves to bamboo structures outside the building and occupying the roof. Local residents have rallied to show support, providing food and other essentials.

“As of yesterday evening, all 20 protesters locked to structures and occupying the roof of the factory are still in position. By then, the police had only shown interest in removing those on the roof, albeit unsuccessfully.”

“As of 11:30am police are attempting to remove protesters from one of the vans which form the blockade. One of the bamboo structures was removed earlier this morning while unoccupied.”

This protest comes after the group shut down four McDonald’s distribution centres two months ago to call out the meat and dairy industries for their role in the climate and ecological emergency causing economic disruption to McDonald’s supply chain. You can read more about that here.

What MUST happen now

What needs to happen next is pretty simple: Animal Rebellion is demanding that McDonald’s transitions to a  fully plant-based menu by 2025 and commits to being 20% plant-based within a year. 

Currently, the Government, and the agricultural industry, has no plan in place to transition the UK agricultural industry to net-zero by 2050. However, if chains like McDonald’s take responsibility for their part in the global climate crisis, we could start moving in the right direction.

To join the rebellion and call for a more sustainable food system, visit our website now.

The post Animal Rebellion Holds Blockade At McDonald’s Only Burger Factory For More Than 24H first appeared on Animal Rebellion.