The Animal Liberation Movement: The Essence of The Movement

Post by guest contributor, Newcastle AR activist.

The animal liberation movement has been around for century's now. In the 80s we saw massed direct actions against the vivisection labs, boots/bricks through windows of fur companies and home demonstrations but that movement is not there any more.

So what are we left with?

We have a movement that is divided between outreach, lobbying and those that want to “Hit them head on”.

We have campaign groups like Animal Defenders International that are pressuring government and more over have managed made great strides towards getting wild animals banned in circuses.

On the other hand we have groups like The National Anti-vivisection Allience (NAVA), for example, who have managed to get many airlines to withdraw from transporting animals. We have seen other campaigners claim victory over clothes giant Flannels getting them to remove there fur.

And from the outreach side of the movement we have also seen massive vegan promoting festivals such as Vegfest that have attracted over 5 thousand people.

All these are great tactics.

We will see hundreds take to the streets Saturday 28th April 2012 for World Day for Animals in Laboratories bringing everyone together for one cause: Animal Liberation, Animal Rights!

The movement could remain divided with Outreach/Lobbying going one way and 'head on' going another but I'm going to put it to you:

A MOVEMENT DEVIDED IS A MOVEMENT THAT FAILS!

In this current climate we don't have the same numbers any more.
We don’t have tens of thousands taking to the streets for animal liberation.
We don’t even have thousands any more, we are a divided movement.
We have no help from the police / the Daily “fascist” Mail and other right wing shit stirrers giving there two fingers to the animal rights movement.

So I say its time to unite!

A movement united could achieve so much that a movement divided can not!
We need people to stand up and say 'enough is enough' its time to end animal cruelty.
Huntingdon Life Sciences are still around - we got to remember that 500 animals are killed there everyday!
Oxford's labs are still open we got to remember the countless deaths they cause!
Hereford seems to have fallen off the map Sequani labs still open!
Universities still perform animal testing!

We have soo many campaigns and not enough campaigners to do it.

My Analysis

While it is essential that we promote veganism and promote animal rights I must also state that it is essential we do not become keyboard warriors. We need to take to the streets onces again we need to unite and fight for those in cages and those in death labs across the world.

NAVA were very successful at getting airlines to stop transporting animals to there deaths.
CAFT have been very successful at getting fur removed from shops.
SHAC have been successful at campaigning against HLS.

All three are good campaigns with there heart in the right place but there are divisions we need to now fight for total liberation and we need to do it quickly.

We have seen the state's might against animal rights with disgusting disproportionate sentencing being handed out. Undoubtedly its put people off doing actions but this is exactly what shouldn't  happen, once a activist goes to jail there needs to be two more to take their place. If a campaign is shut down two more should spring up in response. We are people who care about animal liberation, we care about the suffering of animals - I urge you to take to the streets once again!

I urge you to join your local animal rights campaign, put on an educational event, organise a school speaker or organise a protest in your area.

Please don’t let those who are in the cages die alone and don't let the prisoners inside our prisons for animal rights/warfare suffer alone.

For the animals ...

World Day for Animals in Laboratories 2011

All pics shamelessly nicked from

Matthew Orlinski

A New (Old) Militant Spirit At World Day for Lab Animals 2011!

World Day for Animals in Laboratories has long been a compliant A to B march a long way from the militant spirit displayed at the World Days of old. In the 'old days' (and I am actually only talking a few years ago) there was always a spirit of non-compliance and resistance. This spirit fed the movements energy and manifested itself in a movement that was ready for action and ready to be effective.

While resistance on an A to B march is not as effective as covert direct action it feeds an attitude that allows other resistance to take place but also is an effective tool as part of a diversity of tactics.    

This year in Manchester we began to see a return to this spirit from the young, fresh progressive faces within the movement. Although not everything attempted was successful the spirit is something we need to build on, not just at World Day but through out the movement if we are ever to return to the level of effectiveness we had prior to the SHAC trials. There are a number of groups that are pushing forward in this regard including recent SHAC actions and the campaigns against importing animals for experiments.

The first act of mild resistance on the march was an impromptu protest outside a Manchester lab building which saw marchers crossing the road away from the agreed route. While this may seem like nothing it is a mental barrier of authoritarianism being lifted slightly and moves the protest back into the control of the participant, away from authoritarian sterility.     

The second action was securing the safety and release of an activist who was attacked by security and detained by police. A reasonable sized group assisted with this and this is the minimum any activist should expect in terms of solidarity from other activists. The activist thanked everyone for their assistance at the end of the march, but there was no need at all. The only regret is that more did not assist.     

The next bit of creative, independent thinking was when a sit down protest was attempted by some activists and although this was short lived is exactly the type of autonomy we need to see.

Evidence gatherers attempted to film and photograph the sit down but were unable to do so effectively due to activists employing FITwatch tactics. After the sit down was over three activists  then continued the FITwatch action that eventually led to the removal of police evidence gatherers from the march.

There was also a protest against fur (in the middle of in all) at Armani, now that is creative thinking at its best! We should all think about how we can use A to B marches more effectively and not wait for others' instructions.

This is a significant step forward towards the non-compliant World Days of old and a move back to the days of an effective anti-authoritarian movement where the words 'there are no leaders' actually means something! Well done to all involved!

Has UK Animal Rights Lost It's Edge?

Speaking after the second wave of guilty pleas from the SHAC trials DCI Andy Robbins, of Kent Police state “Since this investigation began in 2007, there has been a sustained reduction in criminal activity linked to animal rights extremism.”

Does the DCI have a point? Has state repression effectively crushed much of the militant edge that effectively complimented the lawful protests conducted by the vast majority of us in the movement? 

I have always been a lawful activist but appreciate the work of the underground. The effectiveness of lawful activity is often directly linked to the actions of more militant forces. Something I think some of my aboveground colleagues often forget.    

While it is certainly true that since the 2007 shake up things have improved and gradually got back to 'business as usual' within the community, it would be dishonest to over look the lasting effects the trials have had. The UK animal rights movement was very much shaken by the arrests and repressive sentences and there is no getting away from that.

To some extent the police repression has worked. Rather than simply fuelling the fires of resistance as has been the case in the past, the police have succeeded in crushing some of the spirit of militancy within the UK scene.

Peaceful activists are bullied by police at demonstrations and face repeated arrests. This is not an attack on 'unlawful activists' and it's time for us moderates to realise that! The police are not combating the 'extremists' they are combating all of us. The conditions are right for militancy.

My more experienced, older friends, tell me that the UK movement goes in waves. The UK animal rights movement has always been versatile and rebellious but how far will the police be allowed to push the movement before the next wave of rebellion begins?

Why it's time to start loving state repression!

Warning Contains Ranting...  

Many people have blamed certain tactics for attracting state repression. Well yes they did and it's a good thing too! The reason tactics attract repression is they are effective. If they don't work Ians Skivens' and Superintendent Pearl's bosses really are not that bothered! The fact the animal rights movement has been so heavily repressed over recent years is a badge of honour that should be worn with pride.

We all know from experience that the type of police response you get on demos varies between targets (regardless of tactics) because the state is choosing to protect the target. It has nothing to do with upholding the law – the police will routinely break the law themselves to protect these institutions.

We must understand that it is not the type of tactics used, but their effect, that creates the overall response. Fans of legalism should look at the case of the Austrian animal activists locked up because their lawful campaign was being to effective!

If the entire movement escapes repression then it escapes all victories that are a challenge to the authority of corporate interests as well! It is time we started to love state repression because as it gets worse we know we are getting closer to effecting change. The more repressive measures we face head on the closer we are to an end to the cruelty and abuse the animals face on a daily basis.

The last thing we need to do now is to become intimidated by the repression or modify our tactics in a way that does not reflect what we have seen to be successful. The movement in the UK has inspired the animal rights movement worldwide but the battle is not won, indeed it has barely begun. Other social justice movements through out history have faced imprisonment, arrest and vilification – do we really expect change without it?

Artwork pinched from Banksy's site, copyright blah, blah, blah. He writes on people's walls anyway so what would he care?