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Climate group Extinction Rebellion met with 18 of the UK’s leading animal justice organizations* earlier this week.
Extinction Rebellion, which launched internationally in April 2019, has held peaceful mass disruptions all over the UK. Its mission is to use ‘non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimize the risk of social collapse’.
Animal Rebellion
The group met animal justice campaigners to discuss the prospect of a two-week long ‘Animal Rebellion’ as part of Extinction Rebellion’s next mass protest in October.
The Animal Rebellion will engage in civil resistance to communicate the urgency to end the industries of animal agriculture and fishing, and transition to a plant-based food system in order to halt biodiversity loss and reduce emissions to net zero by 2025. The group intends to shift public discourse to acknowledge this reality.
Catastrophic impact of animal ag
Around 10,000 animal advocates would be mobilized to highlight – in non-violent ways – the catastrophic impacts of the animal agriculture and fishing industries in the climate emergency.
The groups offered a wide range of commitments in support of the Animal Rebellion, including seconding full-time staff and providing logistics, fundraising, and technological support.
‘Next big rebellion’
“October is the next big rebellion against the British government for the criminal inactivity on the climate emergency and ecological collapse,” Roger Hallam, a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, said.
“If both the environmental and animal movements work together, then we are going to be twice as strong. It’s all connected, we all know this,” added Matthew Glover, co-founder of Veganuary and Million Dollar Vegan.
“Getting involved with Extinction Rebellion from October onwards, getting people on the streets, will be a win-win for both movements.”
‘Hope and optimism’
Ed Winters (otherwise known as Earthling Ed), co-founder of Surge, said: “It fills me with so much hope and optimism about what we are going to achieve in October, which is in an incredibly historic moment of societal and systemic change of people coming together from different groups.
“We need everyone there from the vegan and animal justice community, so keep October closed off. Book holidays, take time off work, school, do whatever you have to do to be there in October. We can’t miss opportunities like this.”
‘Non-violent civil disobedience’
“The energy in the room among the organizations was phenomenal. This is a historic moment of unity that will cause a ripple effect and bond humanity in compassion for protecting all lives on the planet,”
Spokesperson Dora Hargitai said.
“All movements, including the Animal Rebellion, will engage in nonviolent civil disobedience, the only strategy that could ever achieve fast systemic change based on historical evidence,” spokesperson for Animal Rebellion, Dan Kidby, added.
“The science is clear, any solution to our climate and ecological emergency must include the government ending the industries of animal agriculture and fishing, and leading a transition towards a sustainable and just plant-based food system.”
*Organizations at the meeting included:
Million Dollar Vegan
Animal Aid
The Vegan Society
PETA
VIVA
SAVE Worldwide and SAVE UK
Veganuary
Animal Interfaith Alliance
Animal Think Tank
Animal Equality
Animal Justice Project
Extinction Rebellion
Animal Rebellion
Greens for Animal Protection
Humane Being
Pan Orthodox Concern for Animals
Quaker Concern for Animals
Sentience Institute
Surge
Virtue for Animals
