• On 17/11/22 at around 20:45,  Emma Smart peacefully attempted to discuss the need for massive climate action with Sir David Attenborough as he dined at ‘Catch at the Old Fish Market, Weymouth [1].
•  Smart can be seen being forcibly removed by police and staff, before being handcuffed by police.
• The action came as Animal Rebellion continues to call for a plant-based food system and mass-rewilding programme.

A high-end seafood restaurant charging £65 per person (minimum) was targeted last night as a local marine biologist attempted to talk to Sir David about climate breakdown and how he could use his position to call for changes to our food system amidst COP27.

Emma Smart, who has previously taken action with Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain, said: 

“The Catch is a symbol of excess and inequality in today’s world, Weymouth has average wages amongst the lowest in The UK and is at huge risk of sea level rises. Yet this restaurant still continues business as usual amongst the worst cost-of-living crisis many will ever experience.

We don’t need another documentary series showing us that we are losing, some 150 species going extinct globally every single day. What we need is action. Sir David is in a unique position to tell the truth about the biodiversity crisis. He has the chance to leave a legacy of love, care, and of being the forerunner of a better world.” [2]

Since 2006, studies have suggested we could see fishless oceans by 2048. Animal Rebellion claims that the only way to conclusively address this is by supporting farmers and fishing communities in the transition to a just and sustainable plant-based food system [4]. One of those species is Sea Bass, which is on the menu at The Catch. The Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide states the stocks of seabass in the English Channel are at a very low size [3]. There are no total allowable catch limits or quotas for wild sea bass and catches by both commercial and recreational fishers are not well documented. 

Andy Smart, Emma’s husband, said:

“Most of Weymouth will be uninsurable in the coming years due to flood risk. Ordinary people here can’t just uproot their entire lives, yet businesses like The Catch are continuing to profit from the destruction of our oceans and simply driving the divide between the 1% and the 99%.

The cost-of-living and climate crises are woven together, and a key solution to both is the same. We need huge political change to support farmers and fishing communities in the transition to a plant-based food system. This would produce an abundance of healthy, cheap, reliable food whilst also drawing down massive amounts of carbon.”

The action comes as part of Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future, which were announced on Monday 23rd of May [5]. The animal and climate group is urging wholesale governmental and societal 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

Word Count: 546

High-quality pictures and videos: https://show.pics.io/plant-based-future 

For interviews or further comment please contact:

Nathan (Press Back Office): 07466114387

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

Notes To Editors:

[1] https://www.catchattheoldfishmarket.com

[2] https://www.cbd.int/doc/speech/2007/sp-2007-05-22-es-en.pdf 

[3] https://www.mcsuk.org/goodfishguide/species/seabass/?search=sea+bass 

[4] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/seafood-biodiversity [5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s

The post Sir David Attenborough Pleaded With By Biologist and Supporter Of Animal Rebellion: Michelin-Starred Restaurant Disrupted and Arrest Made first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

• On 10/11/22, at a students union general meeting, the Plant-Based Universities campaign put forward a motion for their facilities to transition to 100% plant-based catering by 2025, with 50% of the options being so by the 2023-24 academic year [1].
• A majority of the, around 100, attendees voted in favour of the motion that will affect the 3 outlets operated by the union.
• The vote is a landmark victory for the Plant-Based Universities campaign, which was announced in November  2021 [2].
• George Monbiot has spoken out about the vote, in a comment given to Plant-Based Universities.

Students at The University Of Stirling have voted to embrace a completely plant-based menu to address the climate and ecological emergencies. The decision represents the first of its kind in the UK, following similar commitments by universities in Germany [3].

George Monbiot, the climate and animal justice writer and author of ‘Regenesis’, said:

“It’s fantastic to see the next generation taking control of their future and putting humans, nonhuman animals and the planet first. The Plant-Based Universities campaigners at The University Of Stirling are leading the way in tackling the climate crisis and creating a sustainable food system”

In 2018, comprehensive research from the University of Oxford showed that 76% of the land currently used for food production would be freed-up by a global transition to plant-based production [4]. This land could be rewilded and begin carbon drawdown, mitigating the worst impacts of climate breakdown. A 2019 Harvard University report on UK farmland and food production from Helen Harwatt and Matthew N. Hayek also concluded that the UK would be carbon-negative if it completely transitioned to a plant-based food system [5].

Imogen Robertson, 21, one of the campaigners at Stirling said:

“This vote is a clear sign that young people are willing to take decisive action on the climate and ecological emergencies. We will be working with catering staff to ensure this vote is implemented in a way that provides cheap, delicious, planet-saving options throughout our Student’s Union.

We are delighted that our fellow students have decided to follow the scientific advice from world-leading academics and step into a brighter future. We hope this sparks a wave of bold action across UK universities to commit to just and sustainable plant-based catering”

The Plant-Based Universities campaign is a nationwide initiative of students who are pushing for their universities and student unions to adopt 100% plant-based catering. The group claims that universities have an obligation to follow the scientific research that they produce, detailing the environmental impacts of animal farming and fishing. The campaign is active in over 40 institutions, with the group encouraging interested students to sign up to run local campaigns.

The Plant-Based Universities campaign is supported by the well-known animal and climate justice group Animal Rebellion.

ENDS

Word Count: 478

For interviews or further comment please contact:

Nathan (Press Back Office): 07466114387

Universities@animalrebellion.org

Notes To Editors:

[1] https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/news/article/6013/Your-General-Meeting-November-2022/

[2] https://animalrebellion.org/introducing-plant-based-universities/ and https://animalrebellion.org/students-nationwide-launch-100-plant-based-universities-campaign-for-sustainability/ 

[3] https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/31/berlins-university-canteens-go-almost-meat-free-as-students-prioritise-climate&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1668352302580948&usg=AOvVaw0I-lIIxUJKKaET6kwVOU7u 

[4] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216

[5] https://animal.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/Eating-Away-at-Climate-Change-with-Negative-Emissions%E2%80%93%E2%80%93Harwatt-Hayek.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0qbRS0IuKp4JG0AzXXb5P73osdgnYJ3VBJir88YBpMlajmJg0riNVJFMg

The post George Monbiot Announces Support For Plant-Based Universities: University Of Stirling Students Union Votes ‘Yes’ To Going 100% Plant-Based first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

• Supporters of Just Stop Oil have climbed gantries and forced large sections of the road to shut [1]
• Animal Rebellion stands in solidarity with Just Stop Oil to disrupt London’s circular motorway and demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents [2].
• Animal Rebellion says it is committed to supporting Just Stop Oil in its campaign of civil resistance.

From around 06:30 this morning, several individuals climbed gantries and displayed banners reading ‘Just Stop Oil’. Amongst them were supporters of Animal Rebellion, taking action to support Just Stop Oil’s demands.

Tom Gardener, a systems engineer from Nottingham and supporter of Animal Rebellion, amongst those disrupting the M25 this morning said:

“We continue to see absolute neglect and lack of leadership from those who hold power in this country. Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman, and the rest of the Government, people across this country are calling on you to do what is right and halt all new oil and gas licenses and invest in renewables and a plant-based future.

Animal Rebellion is acting in solidarity with Just Stop Oil once more because we cannot afford to let destructive and outdated industries lead us to ruin when there are cheaper, plentiful and sustainable alternatives”

Animal Rebellion received notice last night that the climate and animal justice group had been added to a high court injunction, prohibiting peaceful protest on certain roads across the South-East. Animal Rebellion says that such threats will not deter individuals from taking action and doing the right thing to secure a liveable future for all life.

A landmark United Nations report recently stated that there is not a single credible pathway to 1.5 degrees celsius and upkeeping the promises made in the Paris Agreement [3]. The same report called for “urgent, system-wide transformation” to avoid climate disaster. Animal Rebellion claims that such a system change must include, both, no new oil or gas licenses and transitioning to a plant-based food system. 

Animal Rebellion recognises the actions of the committed supporters of Just Stop Oil, and pledges to assist them in civil resistance.

ENDS

Word Count: 368

High-quality pictures and videos: https://juststopoil.org/press-media

For interviews or further comment please contact:

Nathan (Press Back Office): 07466114387

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

Notes To Editors:

[1] https://mailchi.mp/juststopoil/just-stop-oil-supporters-climb-m25-gantries-for-the-fourth-day-causing-traffic-disruption-in-multiple-locations 

[2] Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups working together to demand that the government immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK. Just Stop Oil is a member of the A22 Network of civil resistance projects. The Climate Emergency Fund is Just Stop Oil’s primary funder for recruitment, training, and capacity building.

[3] https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2022 

The post M25 Disrupted For the Fourth Day: Animal Rebellion Supporters Take Action With Just Stop Oil Again first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

From 5:00 am today, groups of Animal Rebellion supporters stopped and climbed company trucks outside facilities, whilst others trespassed inside company facilities, climbing up onto milk silos and the sites’ loading bays. This comes after the group received no response to a letter delivered to Downing Street in August, warning of disruptive action in September unless progress towards their demands was made [3].

John Appleton, a father and former employee of the dairy company Arla for six years and who is part of the disruption, said: “I’ve seen this industry first hand; I know the struggle that farmers and workers go through every single day. We need a food system that works for them, everyone else, and nonhuman animals. Governmental support for this is vital to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies. We know the twin solution: transition to a plant-based food system and a mass rewilding programme.”

Animal Rebellion has stated that its supporters will continue to take nonviolent direct action until the British Government enters negotiations for its two demands:

1. Government supports farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal farming and fishing as part of an urgent and immediate transition to a plant-based food system.

2. Government commits to rewild the freed-up land and ocean as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon drawdown.

In 2018, comprehensive research from the University of Oxford showed that 76% of the land currently used for food production would be freed-up by a global transition to plant-based production [4]. This land could be rewilded and begin carbon drawdown, mitigating the worst impacts of climate breakdown. A 2019 Harvard University report on UK farmland and food production from Helen Harwatt and Matthew N. Hayek also concluded that the UK would be carbon-negative if it completely transitioned to a plant-based food system [5].

Steve Bone, a father and photographer from Thorpe-le-Soken, who is taking action today said: “A plant-based future would restore the British countryside and all the wonderful nature lost to animal farming.  Farmers can, and should, be supported in the necessary transition to plant-based production. A plant-based future would enable massive carbon drawdown and mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis. We are offering the solution; our government needs to take it”

The action today comes as part of Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future, which were announced on Monday 23rd of May [6]. The animal and climate group is urging 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

Word Count: 530

High-quality pictures and videos: https://show.pics.io/plant-based-future 

For interviews or further comments please contact:

Nathan (Press Back Office): 07466114387

Jax (Press Back Office): 07424947798

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

Notes To Editors:

[1] https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/overview/arla-in-the-uk/aylesbury/key-facts/ 

[2] The sites where actions are taking place are 1. Arla Aylesbury, HP22 5EZ 2. Müller Droitwich, WR9 0LW 3. Müller Severnside, GL10 2DG, 4. Müller Bridgwater, TA6 6DF.

[3] https://animalrebellion.org/supporters-of-animal-rebellion-deliver-demands-for-a-plant-based-future-to-downing-street/ 

[4] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216

[5] https://animal.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/Eating-Away-at-Climate-Change-with-Negative-Emissions%E2%80%93%E2%80%93Harwatt-Hayek.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0qbRS0IuKp4JG0AzXXb5P73osdgnYJ3VBJir88YBpMlajmJg0riNVJFMg 

[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s

The post Milk Supply To Midlands And South Of England Cut Off As Animal Rebellion Supporters Blockade 4 Key Dairy Distribution Centres first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

• 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

Word Count: 538

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/

The post Animal Rebellion blocks access to fresh milk at high-end supermarkets in 4 cities as they begin sustained direct action against Government inaction on a plant-based food transition. first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Statement from Animal Rebellion: 

In the first two weeks of September, Animal Rebellion will take nonviolent action to stop the supply of dairy to UK Supermarkets, meaning millions of consumers will be unable to buy dairy milk.

We have spent months trying all the proper channels to engage with the Government on the scientific consensus to transition to a plant-based future, but they have chosen to ignore us. We have left with no choice but to step into civil resistance to pressure government action to preserve our futures.

We are announcing our intentions in advance so the British public to prepare for a disruption to the milk supply this September. We apologise for any stress this may cause during a cost of living crisis, but the government are sleepwalking every single one of us into poverty, misery, and climate and ecological collapse We cannot sit by and let this happen.

According to Sir David King (former Chief Scientific Advisor to Blair and Brown, whilst also serving under Cameron) what we do in the next 2-3 years will determine the future of humanity [2]. The climate crisis is already causing wildfires and droughts in this country, and the Global South is facing mass starvation and migration. This is just a prelude to what is to come if we fail to act.

The science is clear, supporting farmers to transition to a plant-based food system, and then rewilding the freed-up land is the key solution to the climate and nature crises. 

According to scientists at Harvard University, if we make this transition the UK can reduce emissions and drawdown enough carbon to be net negative in emissions, whilst ensuring food security by sufficiently feeding the population on less land [3]. As part of this transition, we can invest in British farming and rural communities, and also rewild our land, restoring Britain’s beautiful wildlife – hedgehogs, badgers and birds. If we transition to a plant-based future we all win. 

We recognise that we are calling for nothing less than a complete transformation of our food system. This will only happen through bold political leadership, we need politicians who listen to the data being presented to us by scientists from Oxford and the IPCC, to name a few [4]. They must tell the truth and act in line with the severity of the situation we are in. 

Instead, our political leaders are completely failing to take any meaningful action to protect our homes, our children, and all life. Instead, they are worrying about narrow short-term interests of profit and power. They fail to act on climate, just as they fail to act on the cost of living crisis, they can’t even act on their own corruption.

After three successive prime ministerial resignations, countless scandals, and further descent into crisis, we declare that we have no confidence in the government. 

We have had enough of hoping the government will do the right thing. Animal Rebellion, with other movements, are rising up because we believe change is possible. We are willing to nonviolently bring it about, no matter the personal cost. 

We are in rebellion, for all life.

Animal Rebellion

Word Count: 588

ENDS

For further comments or interviews contact: 

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

For high-quality pictures and videos please see https://show.pics.io/animal-rebellion-breaking-news

Notes to Editors

[1] 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/ 

[2] https://www.thecitizen.org.au/articles/forget-2050-experts-say-its-2030-or-bust-for-net-zero-emissions#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20have%20to%20move%20rapidly,determine%20the%20future%20of%20humanity. 

[3] https://animal.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/Eating-Away-at-Climate-Change-with-Negative-Emissions%E2%80%93%E2%80%93Harwatt-Hayek.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0qbRS0IuKp4JG0AzXXb5P73osdgnYJ3VBJir88YBpMlajmJg0riNVJFMg [4] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216 and https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/chapter/chapter-5/

The post Animal Rebellion Warns Consumers To Prepare for Milk Shortage This September first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

The full letter text can be found below:

“As a co-founder of Animal Rebellion – a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system – I am writing to urge you to step forward in support of our demands during our September campaign.

During the first two weeks of September 2022, Animal Rebellion will bring dairy supply to a stand-still with the participation of 500 people across the country. This will result in milk shortage in supermarkets nationally, becoming a massive media spectacle to occupy front-page news day after day.

In May, we issued a statement with two demands for Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice:

1. Government supports farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal farming and fishing as part of an urgent and immediate transition to a plant-based food system.

2. Government commits to rewild the freed-up land and ocean as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon drawdown.

For the past three years, we have been reaching out to the Government so we can stop the disruptions and begin negotiations. To date, this invitation has not been responded to.

We act out of sheer necessity. Hard-working farmers who feed this nation are trapped in a dying, and environmentally disastrous food production system. The cost of not supporting this transition is unmeasurable.

I am certain we share the same understanding of the science that alarmed the world with a “code red” for humanity and said we are at our “endgame”. But there is plenty of evidence that an urgent transition to plant-based food systems and mass rewilding could still give us hope. 

Joseph Poore, Oxford Academic, and co-author of the most comprehensive academic analysis of food production in history concluded that a global switch to plant-based food production would give incomparable positive changes to greenhouse gases, global acidification, eutrophication, and water use. Whilst also using a staggering 76% less land to produce the same amount of food.

A 2019 Harvard University report on UK farmland and food production from Helen Harwatt and Matthew N. Hayek strongly recommends a complete shift to plant-based production. The benefits of this are twofold: a reduction of the emissions produced and land used from animal farming and fishing, whilst also rewilding the freed-up land to absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This would result in net negative emissions from food production.

These are just two examples from the many studies and published papers that show the massive improvements we could all benefit from by transitioning to a plant-based food system.

I am one to believe that individual people at DEFRA do their absolute best to deal with this emergency. Yet, it is plain to see for the general public that DEFRA`s responsibility for improving and protecting the environment is hindered by the broken economic, political, and cultural systems that preserve a devastating status quo. Social science is clear: such systemic revolution can only happen through non-violent mass resistance.

I turn to you at this dire time, asking that in case the silence from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his successor (Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak,), and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice continues until 31st August 2022, you will stand with the people, and back our demands during the September disruptions, even at your own, personal sacrifice.

“Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Your Sincerely,

Dora Hargitai, on behalf of Animal Rebellion”

The post Animal Rebellion Appeals To DEFRA Board Ahead Of Planned Disruption Of Dairy Industry first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Today’s action marks an escalation in Animal Rebellion’s plant-based future campaign, as the group calls on the RSPCA to be part of a plant-based future. This comes after the group disrupted the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend in June and poured out milk onto the floor of Harrod’s in July [1].

Jane, a former vice-chair of the National RSPCA and former board member of RSPCA Assured, said: “There are so many reasons for the RSPCA to lead the world in a move to a just plant-based food system. Its founders, 200 years ago, were brave and forward-thinking, standing up against injustice when others would not. It would be a fitting recognition of their legacy if the RSPCA now supported a plant-based future. We know that a plant-based future would prevent the unnecessary suffering of billions of animals whilst freeing up enough land to plant trees and draw-down carbon from the atmosphere.” 

Alongside her is Martin Whybrow, a former RSPCA branch trustee. He added: “Already, millions of people and animals are suffering from the effects of extreme climate change. Last month’s record-breaking heatwave and wildfires in the UK were a stark warning for what is to come if we do not act now. A shift to a plant-based food system would help to enable us to meet the targets needed to limit global warming and ensure a livable future for all. It makes total sense for a charity dedicated to animal welfare to join the dots. For all the good work it does, there is a massive disconnect at present that means animals are suffering on farms and in the wild.” 

This is the latest step in what is now an ongoing campaign targeting the RSPCA. A delegation from Animal Rebellion previously met with RSPCA senior managers on 4/5/22 [2] to convey their demands [3]. Animal Rebellion says the written response they received from the RSPCA following the meeting lacked any urgency, substance or commitment to change, triggering today’s occupation. 

Animal Rebellion says they plan to heavily disrupt the supply of dairy to UK supermarkets “day after day” this September as they continue calls for the Government to support farmers in a transition to a plant-based future [4]. 

ENDS

Word Count: 464

For further comments or interviews contact: 

Nathan (Press Back Office:) 07376341572

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

For high quality pictures and videos please see https://show.pics.io/animal-rebellion-breaking-news-

Notes to Editors

[1] https://animalrebellion.org/animal-rebellion-disrupts-platinum-jubilee-to-demand-a-plant-based-future-and-rewilding-of-royal-land/, https://animalrebellion.org/protestors-disrupt-epsom-derby-in-a-call-for-an-end-to-animal-exploitation/, and https://animalrebellion.org/animal-rebellion-pour-milk-on-floor-of-harrods-as-part-of-plant-based-future-campaign/ 

[2] https://animalrebellion.org/ex-rspca-trustees-urge-charity-to-take-lead-on-plant-based-transition/ 

[3] Animal Rebellion’s Demands to the RSPCA.

• That the RSPCA makes a public statement supporting the transition to a fully plant-based food system.

• A commitment to end the RSPCA Assured scheme – with the recognition that it will be no longer needed once we have a plant-based food system.
• The RSPCA backs a just transition for all animal farmers and fishing communities into plant-based food production.

[4] https://animalrebellion.org/plantbasedfuturelaunch/

The post Animal Rebellion Occupies RSPCA HQ first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

During the annual National Animal Rights March, which was attended by around 500 people, supporters of Animal Rebellion successfully handed over a letter addressed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Downing Street.

The group is demanding support for farmers and fishing communities in a transition to a plant-based food system, whilst also rewilding the land that is freed up as part of a wider scheme of carbon drawdown and nature restoration.

Nathan McGovern, 23, one of those who delivered the letter has said “We hope that Boris Johnson uses his last few weeks as Prime Minister to begin the necessary and urgent transition to a plant-based food system. The benefits of this transition are incredible and everyone wins. We hope that our government implements them as soon as possible, otherwise hundreds will be forced into action against the dairy industry to ensure they are”

The full text of the letter follows:

“Dear Boris Johnson,

You have been Prime Minister for nearly three years, with your tenure as leader of The United Kingdom shortly coming to an end. During this time Animal Rebellion has consistently and non-violently disrupted industries that play a devastating role in the climate and ecological crises. All this time you have chosen to ignore our words, actions, pain, and sacrifice. All whilst billions of lives were extinguished worldwide.

You have the opportunity to work towards addressing these wrongs and displaying the compassion an elected official should have for the people they represent. In May, Animal Rebellion issued a statement with two demands for yourself and your Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice:

1. Government supports farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal farming and fishing as part of an urgent and immediate transition to a plant-based food system.

2. Government commits to rewild the freed-up land and ocean as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon drawdown.

Joseph Poore, Oxford Academic, and co-author of the most comprehensive academic analysis of food production in history concluded that a global switch to plant-based food production would give incomparable positive changes to greenhouse gases, global acidification, eutrophication, and water use. Whilst also using a staggering 76% less land to produce the same amount of food.

A 2019 Harvard University report on UK farmland and food production from Helen Harwatt and Matthew N. Hayek strongly recommends a complete shift to plant-based production. The benefits of this are twofold: a reduction of the emissions produced and land used from animal farming and fishing, whilst also rewilding the freed-up land to absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This would result in net negative emissions from food production.

At Animal Rebellion, for the past three years, we have been reaching out to you so we could stop the disruptions and begin negotiations. Only when honouring the innate worth and value of every single person, can any government lovingly transform our economic, agricultural, healthcare, financial, and political systems to build a better world. These are choices not only for this country, but for the globe. You have the chance to lead the world into a plant-based future and we urge you to grasp it with both hands.

For one last time, before you leave the office, we ask you to accept our invitation for negotiations. We need emergency action on climate and we need strong leadership on this issue. If either you or George Eustice has not agreed to meet and enter negotiations for these demands by the end of August, hundreds of people all over the UK will be forced into taking nonviolent direct action to ensure that the necessary steps are taken to preserve their livable world.

Versions of this letter have been sent to both candidates to take up the mantle of Prime Minister: Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. We hope that if you fail to act with love and compassion that they will.

We will await your response with love for human and nonhuman animals and the living planet.

Your Sincerely,

Nathan McGovern and Dora Hargitai, on behalf of Animal Rebellion”

ENDS

For further comment or interview please contact pressoffice@animalrebellion.org 

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s 

The post Supporters of Animal Rebellion Deliver Demands For a Plant-Based Future To Downing Street first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

In an escalation of the Plant-Based Future campaign [1], supporters of Animal Rebellion blockaded supermarket dairy aisles and emptied milk bottles onto the floor.

Kat Chan, 20, who was amongst those in Harrods, said

“We are taking this necessary action because we don’t feel we have any other choice. Last week’s heatwave and wildfires showed us a glimpse of our future if we fail to act now.

Transitioning to a plant-based food system and rewilding is the key solution to the climate crisis.

There is no need for the deaths of over a billion animals for food each year in this country. We have the opportunity to lead the way on a safer future built on love, justice, and freedom.

A plant-based food system would provide security and a future to farmers and farming communities across the country, in contrast to the soaring rates of depression and financial ruin currently being experienced. Around 25% of dairy farmers are considering leaving the industry and we need the government to support them in the transition to plant-based farming.” [2][3]

Animal Rebellion is pushing for a straightforward and cast-iron solution to the climate and animal emergencies: transition to plant-based farming and rewilding of the freed-up land. Research from The University of Oxford has shown 76% of land currently used for farming would be freed up by wholesale transition to plant-based production [4]. This land could undergo rewilding and begin the crucial process of carbon drawdown; this drawdown has the potential to offset decades of fossil fuel emissions.

Nathan McGovern, 23, spokesperson for Animal Rebellion (who was notably involved in several Just Stop Oil disruptions in April that included interrupting an on-air interview on LBC and disabling petrol pumps at the Clacket Lane services on the M25) has said

“A golden solution to the climate and animal emergencies is being presented to us in the form of a plant-based future.

Imagine a world in which there is food security, safety, and hope for everyone, where we are not facing the horrors of climate breakdown currently being seen in places like Madagascar, Pakistan, or even 40 degree heat in the UK!

All we need is for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice and the rest of the government to take action that shows they care about the people they claim to represent.

This September hundreds of people will be taking action against the dairy industry to fight for a plant-based future that will ensure prosperity for humans, other animals, and the planet alike.”

The action comes as part of Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future, which were announced on Monday 23rd of May [4]. Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system. 

ENDS

For interviews, images or further comment please contact:

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

[1] https://animalrebellion.org/plantbasedfuturelaunch/ The Plant-Based Future campaign is an upcoming civil resistance campaign with 2 demands for the British government: 1. Government supports farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal farming and fishing as part of an urgent and immediate transition to a plant-based food system. And 2. Government commits to rewild the freed-up land and ocean as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon drawdown.

[2] ”Rapid global phaseout of animal agriculture has the potential to stabilize greenhouse gas levels for 30 years and offset 68 percent of CO2 emissions this century” https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000010

[3] https://www.fginsight.com/news/news/nearly-a-quarter-of-dairy-farmers-planning-to-quit-128874 

[4] “Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers” https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216 

[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s 

The post ANIMAL REBELLION POUR MILK ON FLOOR OF HARRODS AS PART OF PLANT-BASED FUTURE CAMPAIGN first appeared on Animal Rebellion.