Animal Rebellion tells The Vegan Review it cannot let the UK government ignore the animal emergency, ahead of daily protests in September.
Animal Rebellion has said, that from September 1 to 10, it will be taking daily action against the UK government to “demand a plant-based food system and raise the alarm”.
With 2020 already proving to be a tough time for society, in particular due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of the Amazon and Australia fires, the Animal Rebellion group believe the countless numbers of humans and animals dying has to come to an end.
The anger appears to be at the current system of governance. A system that the group says “is killing us”.
“Animal farming and fishing continues to drive ecological breakdown and will bring more pandemics and continue to kill trillions of animals,” says Animal Rebellion.
Speaking to The Vegan Review, Animal Rebellion spokesperson Kieran Blyth said: “Public and governmental bodies must acknowledge that wider system change is required and go further to ensure that animal and climate justice is achieved. This means a full transition towards a just and sustainable plant-based food system.”
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In July, Animal Rebellion dyed the fountains in Trafalgar Square blood-red in protest of animal famring. Last year, it convened on Smithfield meat market and demonstrated to the general public what its vision of a “better world” would look like. The group constructed a fruit and veggie market inside “a market of death and destruction and showed the world what a 21st century food system really looks like”.
From September 1, the Rebellion will march from Smithfield meat market to the UK Houses of Parliament.
The group says: “Once again, take to the streets to show our government that we will not stand by and let their ignorance and greed destroy the animals we love, to feed a food system that is devastating the planet we cherish. We cannot let the UK government ignore the animal emergency.”
The branding and functionality of Animal Rebellion are identical to its parent organisation, Extinction Rebellion, a group that was co-founded by activist Roger Hallam.
Hallam has become an extremely controversial figure over the last year, not only by being one of the core strategists behind the XR protests but by also now deciding to set up his own political party called Beyond Politics.
The organisation was founded in late June, and it marked the occasion by shoplifting a haul of supermarket goods to highlight the instability of global food distribution. This political stunt involved five members of the party walking out of a Sainsbury’s in Camden with shopping trolleys filled with food, which they hadn’t paid for.
According to the Guardian, they were not stopped by staff, but two activists were involved in skirmishes with security guards after broadcasting over a loudspeaker that there was free food.
While in the store, they distributed stickers on various food items that read: “New lower price: free. Because poverty sucks.”
