Defend Direct Action
17th March, Poznań, Poland.
Received anonymously via email:
“Animal right activists has glued multiple rat poison traps in the city park using mounting foam. This rendered them completely unusable. A single tube was enough to sabotage 7 traps.”
6th March, southern Sweden.
Received anonymously via email:
“On the night of 6th march a castle in southern Sweden that organizes hunts & is owned by hunters was spraypainted.
Expect us!
/ animal liberation front”
5th March, Stuttgart Germany.
Received anonymously via email:
“Last night we went on a mission to destroy some despicable poisonous rat traps in Stuttgart City.
The rectangular boxes filled with rat poison are screwed to the ground and side walls of the buildings, so these innocent little creatures come there for a snack and die a slow and painful death.
We managed to break off 17 traps from the floor with a crow bar and a side cutter. Because there is Karneval in Germany, we‘ve had unexpectedly full streets with drunk people and cab drivers crossing our way every few seconds.
An ACAB police car crossed our way three times and still they were too stupid to detect what we were up to.
Some fully masked people with a crow bar and big trashpacks full of rat traps are definitely nothing to worry about, so keep driving and fuck off stupid bastards, or would you like to have a little snack out of the rat traps yourself?
Since you guys are connaisseurs of violence and protectors of injustice, you might like the taste of it.
We intend to return for some more traps since they are located in areas we couldn‘t do much due to the traffic.
Fuck this speciesistic system and let’s liberate all animals!
P.S. Destroying rat traps isn‘t difficult, all you need is a crow bar, some trash bags, face cover and a calm night.
We saw some traps that had blocked entrances with rolled up newspapers, so this might be better than nothing if you see a trap and can‘t do more in this specific moment.
Every saved life counts.”
10th March, Australia.
Received anonymously via email:
“Greetings and salutations with love from the A.L.F. in so-called Australia
Todays action involved some sabotage of a resting death truck trailer. Sitting in plain sight, unattended, how could we not?
The recipe for this economic sabotage involved:
The classic, trusted red spray paint
Cutting of all wires and hoses
Damage to connection ports and lights
Drilling holes in 20 tyres
Sabotage of dog muzzles
This trailer will not be transporting any animals to their deaths any time soon.
For any comrades inspired by this action, a “step-up” drill bit comes with our stamp of approval 😉
Fuck speciesism and the animal industrial complex!
Until every slaughterhouse is burned to the ground, every death truck is sabotaged and every cage is empty.
We acknowledge that this action was taken on land never ceded. We acknowledge the First Nations peoples of this land, and stand in solidarity with their continuing struggle and fight against dispossession and oppression. Always was and always fucking will be First Nations land!
PS: Free Palestine, Congo, Sudan and all other lands fighting against colonisation.”
February, Athens Greece.
via: Greek indymedia.
ENGLISH (translation):
“Taking responsibility for intervention-sabotage at the Varvakeio market on Ash Wednesday
CONSUMING ANIMALS IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT. FUCK TRADITIONS AND MEAT-EATING.
EATING ANIMALS IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT
SHIT ON TRADITIONS AND MEAT-EATING
Tradition, customs and traditions are an informal framework of values that are still observed in modern culture. In Greek tradition in particular, the killing and mass consumption of non-human animals according to the Christian calendar is deeply rooted. One of these days is Tsiknopesthuy, on which countless animals are tortured and murdered on the altar of human profit and entertainment. While it has been translated as a day of celebration, it is nothing less than the human species’ tendency to dominate, dominate and torture other species. Ash Wednesday is yet another point in the capitalist system in which man, industry and corporations enrich themselves at the expense of non-human animals in the most cannibalistic way. On that day and beyond, millions of animals are taken to slaughterhouses because of demand. Massively people tend to uncontrolled consumption of carcasses because of tradition.
The Varvakeios market of Athens, apart from the central meat market, was for many years a slaughterhouse, where hundreds of animals, mainly chickens, were killed every day. People from all the suburbs flocked there with their live animals to turn them into pieces of meat. In recent years, the operation of the Barbican had shrunk mainly due to the massive expansion of super markets in the neighborhoods and price competition. But one thing hasn’t changed, the dismembered animal carcasses inside its windows. In the time of the economic crisis, the surrounding area was deserted and today it is a “fillet” in the hands of the respective investors. With the rapid touristization of recent years, an attempt is being made to gentrify the area, followed by a fashion of “embracing” – exploiting – traditions, creating a nostalgic atmosphere around the “traditional” professions. In complete harmony with the tourist guides of other European cities, in Athens too, tourists are invited to take a stroll through the Kenyan market and shop for traditional products against a backdrop of skinned carcasses hanging from the tongs. In this way the butcher’s stalls become a background for a photo shoot.
In full agreement with this grotesque situation comes the opening of a pop-up night club in the third arcade of Varvakeion. Suddenly some nights, dazzling spotlights, luxury cars, doormen, railings pop up. The whole scene of nocturnal Athens is transported between the showcases that in the morning were adorned with dead animals, people of all ages dancing wildly on the floor that in the morning will drip with the blood of the beasts. Commodity, money, alienation. No one thinks at that moment about the dead animal, the one being dismembered, the one being sold, the one being roasted next to them – just for effect. In this process, the marketplace acquires a new meaning and content, purifying its true commercial function.
We thus decided, on the evening of Ash Wednesday 20 February 2025, to intervene in this capitalist fiesta with ampoules of stink, causing a small proportional economic sabotage of the businesses that profit on the torture, slaughter and exploitation of animals. On a symbolic level, we hope it served as a reminder to patrons of what space they are in by simulating the stench of the ampoule to that of slaughterhouses and butcher shops. This little intervention lasted only a few minutes, but it was enough for everyone to run away and empty the space. A place where since the morning of Ash Wednesday, with the help of the Municipality of Athens, the bodies of many sentient animals were roasted.
The discomfort of the night users of the Barbican strongly reminded us of the discomfort we feel as we walk outside in the mornings, smelling the death of slaughtered flesh.
FREEDOM FOR ANIMALS HUMAN AND NON-HUMAN
NOT TO GET USED TO DEATH FEASTS”
GREEK (original):
“Ανάληψη ευθύνης για παρέμβαση-σαμποτάζ στη Βαρβάκειο αγορά την Τσικνοπέμπτη
Η ΚΑΤΑΝΑΛΩΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΖΩΩΝ ΔΕΝ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΨΥΧΑΓΩΓΙΑ ΣΚΑΤΑ ΣΤΙΣ ΠΑΡΑΔΟΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΚΡΕΟΦΑΓΙΑ ΛΕΥΤΕΡΙΑ ΣΤΑ ΖΩΑ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΙΝΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΗ ΝΑ ΜΗΝ ΣΥΝΗΘΙΣΟΥΜΕ ΤΙΣ ΓΙΟΡΤΕΣ ΘΑΝΑΤΟΥ
Η ΚΑΤΑΝΑΛΩΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΖΩΩΝ ΔΕΝ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΨΥΧΑΓΩΓΙΑ
ΣΚΑΤΑ ΣΤΙΣ ΠΑΡΑΔΟΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΚΡΕΟΦΑΓΙΑ
Η παράδοση, τα ήθη και τα έθιμα αποτελούν ένα άτυπο πλαίσιο αξιών που τηρούνται ακόμα και στον σύγχρονο πολιτισμό. Στην ελληνική παράδοση συγκεκριμένα είναι βαθιά ριζωμένη η θανάτωση και η μαζική κατανάλωση μη ανθρώπινων ζώων κατά το χριστιανικό ημερολόγιο. Μία από αυτές τις ημέρες είναι και η Τσικνοπέμπτη, κατά την οποία βασανίζονται και δολοφονούνται αμέτρητα ζώα στο βωμό του κέρδους και της διασκέδασης του ανθρώπου. Ενώ έχει μεταφραστεί ως μέρα γιορτής, δεν αποτελεί τίποτα λιγότερο από την τάση του ανθρώπινου είδους να εξουσιάζει, κυριαρχεί και βασανίζει άλλα είδη. Η Τσικνοπέμπτη αποτελεί ακόμη ένα σημείο στο καπιταλιστικό σύστημα κατά το οποίο ο άνθρωπος, οι βιομηχανίες και οι εταιρείες πλουτίζουν εις βάρος των μη ανθρώπινων ζώων με τον πιο κανιβαλιστικό τρόπο. Εκείνη την ημέρα, και όχι μόνο, οδηγούνται σε σφαγεία εκατομμύρια ζώα λόγω της ζήτησης. Μαζικά τείνουν οι άνθρωποι στην ανεξέλεγκτη κατανάλωση πτωμάτων λόγω της παράδοσης.
Η Βαρβάκειος αγορά της Αθηνας, πέρα από την κεντρική κρεαταγορά αποτελούσε για πολλά χρόνια και σφαγείο, όπου εκατοντάδες ζώα, κυρίως κοτόπουλα, δολοφονούνταν κάθε μερα. Άνθρωποι από όλα τα προάστια συνέρρεαν εκεί με τα ζωντανά ζώα τους για να τα μετατρέψουν σε κομμάτια κρέατος. Τα τελευταία χρόνια η λειτουργία της Βαρβακείου είχε συρρικνωθεί κυρίως λόγω της μαζικής επέκτασης των super market στις γειτονιές και του ανταγωνισμού των τιμών. Ένα πράγμα όμως δεν άλλαξε, τα διαμελισμένα πτώματα των ζώων μέσα στις βιτρίνες της. Την εποχή της οικονομικής κρίσης, η γύρω περιοχή ερήμωσε και σήμερα αποτελεί “φιλέτο” στα χέρια των εκάστοτε επενδυτών. Με την ραγδαία τουριστικοποίηση των τελευταίων χρόνων γίνεται μια προσπάθεια εξευγενισμού της ευρύτερης περιοχής συνακολουθούμενη με μια μόδα “αγκαλιάσματος” – εκμετάλλευσης – των παραδόσεων δημιουργώντας μια νοσταλγική ατμόσφαιρα γύρω από τα “παραδοσιακά” επαγγέλματα. Σε μια πλήρη σύμπνοια με τους τουριστικούς οδηγούς των άλλων ευρωπαϊκών πόλεων, έτσι και στην Αθήνα οι τουρίστες καλούνται να περάσουν μια βόλτα από την κεντική αγορά και να ψωνίσουν παραδοσιακά προϊόντα με φόντο τα γδαρμένα κουφάρια κρεμασμένα από τα τσιγκέλια. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο οι πάγκοι του χασάπη μετατρέπονται σε φόντο φωτογράφισης.
Σε πλήρη συμφωνία με αυτήν την τραγελαφική κατάσταση έρχεται να κουμπώσει το άνοιγμα ενός νυχτερινού pop-up club μέσα στην τρίτη στοά της Βαρβακείου. Ξαφνικά κάποια βράδια, ξεπροβάλλουν εκτυφλωτικοί προβολείς, αυτοκίνητα πολυτελείας, πορτιέρηδες, κιγκλιδώματα. Όλο το σκηνικό της νυχτερινής Αθήνας μεταφέρεται ανάμεσα στις προθήκες που το πρωί κοσμούσαν νεκρά ζώα, άνθρωποι όλων των ηλικιών χορεύουν ξέφρενα στο πάτωμα που το πρωί θα στάζει το αίμα των κτηνών. Εμπόρευμα, χρήμα, αλλοτρίωση. Κανείς δεν σκέφτεται εκείνη την στιγμή το νεκρό ζώο, αυτό που τεμαχίζεται, αυτό που πουλήθηκε, αυτό που ψήνεται δίπλα τους – μόνο και μόνο για το εφέ. Μέσα σε αυτή τη διαδικασία ο χώρος της αγοράς αποκτά νέο νοήμα και περιεχόμενο, εξαγνίζοντας την πραγματική εμπορική του λειτουργία.
Αποφασίσαμε έτσι, το βράδυ της Τσικνοπέμπτης 20 Φλεβάρη 2025 να παρέμβουμε στην καπιταλιστική αυτή φιέστα με αμπούλες βρώμας, προκαλώντας ένα μικρό αναλογικά οικονομικό σαμποτάζ στις επιχειρήσεις που κερδοσκοπούν πάνω στο βασανισμό, τη σφαγή και την εκμετάλλευση των ζώων. Σε συμβολικό επίπεδο ελπίζουμε να λειτούργησε ως υπενθύμιση στους θαμώνες σε ποιο χώρο βρίσκονται προσομοιάζοντας την μπόχα της αμπούλας με αυτήν των σφαγείων και των κρεοπωλείων. Η μικρή αυτή παρέμβαση διήρκησε μόλις μερικά λεπτά, ήταν όμως αρκετά για να φύγουν όλοι τρέχοντας και να αδειάσει ο χώρος. Ένας χώρος όπου από το πρωί της Τσικνοπέμπτης με την αρωγή του Δήμου Αθηναίων ψήθηκαν τα κορμιά πολλών αισθανόμενων ζώων.
Η δυσφορία των νυχτερινών χρηστών της Βαρβακείου μας θύμισε έντονα την δυσφορία που νιώθουμε εμείς καθώς περνάμε απ’ έξω τα πρωινά, μυρίζοντας τον θάνατο από σφαγμένες σάρκες.
ΛΕΥΤΕΡΙΑ ΣΤΑ ΖΩΑ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΙΝΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΗ
ΝΑ ΜΗΝ ΣΥΝΗΘΙΣΟΥΜΕ ΤΙΣ ΓΙΟΡΤΕΣ ΘΑΝΑΤΟΥ”
22nd February, Copenhagen Denmark.
Received anonymously via email:
“Fur vandalised by gum on 22 February in Copenhagen”
February, Finland.
Received anonymously via email:
“The last five months in Finland have been an emotional time for many hunters. During this period, a total of 50 hunting towers in southern Finland have been targeted by ALF activists. Towers have been sawed down, destroyed or toppled, and in addition to this, hunters’ equipment, such as trail cameras and other gear, has been stolen. In addition a hunting store has been subjected to sabotage, including broken windows. The hunting tower attacks have been continuously highlighted in various local news outlets, and hunters have portrayed themselves as the victims of these incidents, even though the real victims are the persecuted and hunted animals, who have no means of escape from humans’ twisted lust for murder. We intend to continue our actions against the oppressors of animals for as long as necessary. The murdering will not continue without resistance.”
20th February, North Italy.
ENGLISH (translation):
“When it comes to animals, institutions almost always do not exist. This is one of many cases that we have had to solve (for the second time in two years) in our own way because, although the law exists, the state decides that if it comes to animals, we can wait (months, years, forever?) waiting, perhaps, for them to be forgotten.
Should we forget about dogs left night and day without water inside a nailed-down pallet little more than their size unable to take more than a step? About chickens and ducks living in a few meters without adequate food and in deplorable hygienic conditions, filthy with mud and droppings, surrounded by rats, with injured legs and wings?about little birds inside cramped and dirty aviaries hatched to be illegally sold?
They were 21 animals kept inside a few square meters in the dark, without air in a dilapidated structure equipped only with a small grate placed on top, living beings in a serious state of suffering that could not be forgotten about, and so after seeing, we decided to act by releasing them and bringing them to safety.
We also did damage to everything inside and outside the structure.
This dilapidated shack has been declared illegal by the authorities and is waiting for the municipality to follow up on the application for its demolition but, for years, its “owner” has been imprisoning animals of various species by keeping them in conditions incompatible with their nature (as established by law) and the authorities postpone the established intervention as they are busy with “more serious things.” But we ask the Lords of Power what is more serious for an institution than punishing offenders of a crime, fighting injustice and restoring dignity to sentient and innocent beings by thus establishing a clear line (which should never be crossed) between what is right and what is not, between what is human and what is inhuman? By not doing so, the ‘authority admits not only that the law is not the same for everyone but also pulls down the mask on its own cruelty, which is that of a social and cultural system now adrift. Having no compassion the human being is doomed to extinction. We confidently await that day certain that the deprived nature of the human species will be able to regain vigor, nobility, dignity and thrive in the beauty and harmony with which she alone is endowed.
That said, we specify that for us any law that allows the exploitation of animals for human purposes is unjust and we fight for animal liberation-the only law to which we respond today, tomorrow and forever.
THE ALF IS WATCHING AND THERE IS NOT PLACE TO HIDE.
GO VEGAN.
A.L.F”
ITALIAN (original):
“Quando si tratta di animali quasi sempre le istituzioni non esistono. Questo è uno dei tanti casi che abbiamo dovuto risolvere (per la seconda volta in due anni) a modo nostro perchè, nonostante la legge esista, lo Stato decide che, se si tratta di animali, si può aspettare (mesi, anni, per sempre?) in attesa, forse, che ci si dimentichi.
Dovremmo dimenticarci di cani lasciati notte e giorno senza acqua all’interno di un bancale inchiodato largo poco più delle loro dimensioni impossibilitati nel fare più di un passo? di galline e anatre che convivono in pochi metri senza cibo adeguato e in condizioni igieniche deplorevoli, sporchi di fango e deiezioni, circondati dai topi, con zampe e ali ferite?di uccellini all’interno di anguste e sporche voliere fatti nascere per essere illegalmente venduti?
Erano n°21 animali detenuti all’interno di pochi metri quadrati al buio, senza aria in una struttura fatiscente dotata solo di una piccola grata posizionata in alto, esseri viventi in grave stato di sofferenza dei quali non ci si poteva dimenticare e quindi dopo aver visto, abbiamo deciso di agire liberandoli e portandoli al sicuro.
Abbiamo anche arrecato danni a tutto ciò che era presente dentro e fuori la struttura.
Questa baracca fatiscente è stata dichiarata abusiva dalle autorità ed è in attesa che il Comune dia seguito all’istanza di abbattimento ma, da anni, il suo “proprietario” imprigiona animali di varie specie detenendoli in condizioni incompatibili con la loro natura (come stabilito dalla legge) e le autorità rimandano l’intervento stabilito poichè impegnate in “cose più serie”. Ma noi domandiamo ai Signori del Potere che cosa ci sia di più serio per un’istituzione del punire i trasgressori di un reato, combattere le ingiustizie e riconsegnare la dignità ad esseri senzienti e innocenti stabilendo in questo modo una linea netta di confine (che non dovrebbe mai essere oltrepassata) tra ciò che è giusto e ciò che non lo è, tra ciò che è umano e ciò che è DISUMANO? Non facendolo l’ autorità ammette non solo che la legge non è uguale per tutti ma fa calare la maschera sulla propria crudeltà che è quella di un sistema sociale e culturale oramai alla deriva. Non avendo nessuna compassione l’essere umano è condannato all’estinzione. Noi attendiamo con fiducia quel giorno certi che la natura privata della specie umana potrà riprendere vigore, nobiltà, dignità e prosperare nella bellezza e armonia di cui solo lei è dotata.
Detto questo specifichiamo che per noi ogni legge che ammette lo sfruttamento degli animali per scopi umani è ingiusta e combattiamo per la liberazione animale: l’unica legge a cui rispondiamo oggi, domani e per sempre.
THE ALF IS WATCHING AND THERE IS NOT PLACE TO HIDE.
GO VEGAN.
A.L.F”
17th February, Southern Germany.
received anonymously via email:
“We returned! On February 17th, we took a stand against animal hunting again and destroyed 3 more hunting towers in Southern Germany.
Making their best effort to frame the cruel and unnecessary killing of innocent individuals as an important part of nature conservancy, the hunting scene practises its sick and bloodthirsty hobby unseen, unregulated and uncontrolled because there‘s nobody watching them doing what they‘re doing while they do it.
It is scientifically proven that animal populations regulate themselves based on available space and food supply.
Under false claims of protection, animal hunters will feed them and hunt down natural predators, directly and artificially causing animal multiplication which they say they‘re fighting against. They tear social family structures apart which is not only deeply unethical but contributes to animal multiplication as well since the dead family’s children will reproduce more and sooner. They leave shot animals helpless, suffering and bleeding to death if they are unable to find them again and cause unimaginable pain, suffering and trauma to innocent animals.
Nature does not need humans to function properly and we deeply despise the arrogance of those who say otherwise.
With our hunting tower destroying game, we want to end hunter’s god-complex-like torture phantasies and bring them down to earth again.
Since we upgraded our gear, we will definitely return again.”
7th February, Espoo Finland.
[editor’s note: Submitted to UA via email]
“According to local press, sometime between the seventh and ninth of February, several people sawed down five hunting towers in Espoo, Finland. Hunter Antti Saarenmaa says that the attack took place at night, and that it must have been carried out by several people, as the hunting towers are particularly large and heavy.
In addition to having destroyed the hunting towers, the saboteurs also smashed a hunting trap, which was intended to catch marten. The Finnish hunters are of course very sad and angry about the sabotage. However, the martens are surely happy.
Although the hunters found out about the sabotage through their surveillance cameras, they were unable to see or capture the people who carried out the acts. Anti, the hunter, tells the newspaper that, “There is a signature [three letters] on one of the towers that I don’t want to reveal. But it leads us to suspect who it could be…”.
About a year and a half ago, several hunting towers in the northern part of Espoo were destroyed in a similar way. The police did not manage to figure out who did that sabotage either, and the police investigation was dropped. However, posts about the sabotage appeared shortly afterwards on an anarchist internet forum.
The hunters announce that they will build new towers. Surely this will be very expensive for the hunters. And several non human animals life’s will likely be spared due to the destroyed towers. It would surely be a shame if someone were to saw down more towers in the future.”