Category: Prisoner Support

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SOLIDARITY WITH ARRESTED COMRADES.

//*IF THERE IS ONE SINGLE UNOFFENSIVE POST THAT SHOULD GO VIRAL, IT IS THIS ONE.*//

Share it everywhere, every page, every personal profile, every social media. Let’s show solidarity with our comrades. It is time to step up and own up our words for every single comment and message praising actions. Take part. 

Find the fundraising link just below and an explanation after: 

https://www.cotizup.com/nooneisfree

In the past few months, multiple activists in the UK have been arrested in a show of repression and enforcement of power by the estate. 

It is our time to show solidarity with all the arrestees and to make sure they can either fund a good defence and/or pay fines that might arise. For some of these defendants, other costs related to their arrest might need covering. At least four people have had their phones confiscated by the police, rendering their communications to nothing without the support of others. 

Earlier in August, several folks were arrested in County Durham during the Earth First! gathering whilst blockading two coal mines. Many costs are involved in this case, and although there has not been a sentence yet, having to travel to County Durham multiple times is very money consuming. 

Three activists were arrested and charged in the port of Ramsgate whilst protesting against the live export of animals. They have their plea date set and will need help covering costs. 

SMASH Speciesism carried out a slaughterhouse blockade in Kent resulting in eleven arrests, all charged with aggravated trespass. The bail conditions after the action have ensured that many of them cannot carry on with their normal life and/or jobs. They are also getting ready for a trial and have to fundraise costs related to the action. 

Four people were arrested whilst walking around in the woods and charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage. Their phones were stolen by the police and the bail conditions meant that they have to be displaced from their home, incurring into even more costs. 

A comrade in Brighton is facing a trial in connection with criminal damage at a McDonalds. Court fees and fines will have to be covered if they are found guilty. 

Another three people who do not wish to be named were also arrested and released under investigation on bullshit charges that will also need our solidarity. 

All these actions are taken by folks that want to change the world and that want to make the earth a nicer, better place to live. That means that folks are willing to take risks, and those risks sometimes mean that people are sentenced. The bare minimum we can do is to help. 

If any of our posts should go viral, it’s this one. 

No one is free until all are free.

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ONE YEAR AFTER THE SABOTAGE OF THE PERLY SLAUGHTERHOUSE

Read below a text sent to us on the incarceration of Matthias, the slaughterhouse sabotage action in Switzerland last year and a call to action to show Matthias isn’t alone: 

Exactly one year ago, following the Geneva march for the end of speciesism, activists targeted the canton’s largest chicken slaughterhouse, temporarily disabling it and destroying the killing chain, computers, and the entire stock of speciesist “goods”, thus causing a direct attack on the murder economy of several tens of thousands of francs.(991,856 hens killed in 2018 in the canton, 8,000~ per week in this slaughterhouse, Tribune de Genève, Céline Garcin)

The activists had issued press releases explaining their action through various media. 

It was the first such action in Switzerland in at least 10 years. 

The idea is simple, however: as antispeciesists we all oppose every forms of animal exploitation and where there are the most victims are slaughterhouses. 

Since Matthias’ imprisonment, it has to be said that the repression has worked well. Where is the revolt, the sound of broken windows and the fear of speciesist businesses and multinationals that our egalitarian movement will resist it?

Where are the 250,000 vegans from Switzerland? At the sides of their brothers and sisters, in sanctuaries, and places of domination to resist with them? Or at the supermarket, credit card in hand? 

Matthias is innocent until proven guilty, this beautiful judicial system promises us. 

And yet, for the past 9 months he has been paying the price of our silence for a prosecutor who dreamed of seeing him held as a leader of actions for which there is STILL no proof. 

But since we no longer hear broken windows, it’s because he necessarily did it, right?

It seems obvious to us that the best way to help him, beyond supporting him morally and materially, is to make him this promise: when you’re getting out Matthias, the speciesist industry will have suffered many failures and we are one day closer to animal liberation.

We were neither silent nor fearful, we did not abandon our brothers and sisters to their fate by closing our eyes, we grabbed picks, bolt cutters, shovels and carboys to indicate everywhere and all the time that we are determined to resist their side regardless of our criminal record, regardless of the risks, because they are ready to be free at last! 

If his incarceration has taught us anything, it is this: solidarity is never an empty word. Solidarity is lived and proven on a daily basis. Not behind a keyboard. We went to meet activists from all over the world to share Matthias’ story and often the most distant people are the ones who do the most to get him out of his cell. 

But this is obviously not enough. In Switzerland it is urgently time to activate all the manoeuvres to denounce his incarceration.

This is a call to action. NOW!

Read the report from the slaughterhouse action last year here: 

“On the night of Saturday night, antispeciesist activists attacked a slaughterhouse in Perly, Canton Geneva, announced the activists in an anonymous letter. 

Upset citizens have decided to attack a slaughterhouse in Perly, which claims several thousand victims every week,” the anonymous message said.

“Science has long proven (…) the sentience (the ability to feel emotions and live a subjective life) that other animals show. They can rightly be considered as individuals, who deserve to live as long and happy a life as possible,” the letter continues.

“That is why antispeciesist activists decided to undermine this slaughterhouse, damaging its slaughter line, premises and stocks in the hope of temporarily preventing them from taking further lives and showing their refusal to see these morbid places exist.”

Please, help Matthias economically whilst he endures an illegal incarceration by donating on the link below:


https://www.cotizup.com/cagnotteantirepression

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ON HERO WORSHIPPING, SOLIDARITY AND HELP TO PRISONERS.

Regularly, when publishing anonymous reports, folks tend to leave celebratory and encouraging comments. It is not surprising that some people feel very happy when the animal agriculture industry is under attack or when a few animals are helped out of their cages. It is probably also good to see those comments for those who have taken action, making them feel like they should carry on. There is one standardised comment that we have tried to fight off multiple times without much luck and we would like for folks to rethink their position. 

When we compare people to heroes, angels and some other supernatural concept we are creating a barrier between “everybody” and “hero”. We create a hierarchy where those who manage to help a few animals free are in a much higher position than everybody else when anyone can take direct action. By comparing folks to heroes, we are telling everybody else that they are “highly skilled” and “away from everybody else”. Everybody can take direct action to change the world. 

This would not be half as bad as it is if there was more solidarity with people facing legal trouble. We have been reluctant to post about this, but it has reached a point where if we don’t call people in, we don’t believe things will change. 

It is not only ridiculous but also incredibly sad that whilst pouring comments of hero-worshipping towards people taking action there are folks in need of serious help that are being completely ignored. There are three cases right now we want to bring up to you, and we want people to read about them, to share as much as they can and to donate what they can to help them. 

Let us remind you that without prisoner support, direct action would not exist. Without the support of everybody, those who feel like they are willing to break the law are a lot less likely to do so. When someone knows that if they are caught there will be a network of support raising funds for fines or writing letters to them in prison, they are much more likely to not care about consequences. So this is a very easy equation. If you like people taking action, you should be willing to support them as a bare minimum. 

(FIRST CASE EDITED OUT AS WE DO NOT WANT TO PROMOTE THE PERSON AFTER RECEIVING SOME INFORMATION).

The second case we want to mention is Matthias. Matthias has been in preventive prison for 8 months now, getting another two months added to the preventive sentence every time they are ready to be released. They were accused alongside two other comrades of window smashing as well as destroying speciesist advertisements and posters and of destroying a slaughterhouse. Even tho the prosecution does not have any evidence to pin Matthias down, they have kept them locked up “in case they do something else”. This is just more proof of how racist and classist the prison system is, and Matthias needs as much help as they can get. 

Their support group alongside other groups in Europe have called for autonomous action of whatever kind that leads to their release. This is not a simple “showing solidarity with Matthias” but taking serious action that puts pressure on the Swiss government to do something about it. Wherever you are, there has to be a Swiss embassy that can be visited, maybe during the day, maybe during the night. 

They also have a link to help them with all the costs that prison have. Only 15 people have donated through that link, even tho it has been up for several months. Matthias needs a bit of help, and we should all be helping. 

Check their link here: 

https://www.cotizup.com/cagnotteantirepression

And keep a close eye to their support page on Facebook. 

https://www.facebook.com/solidariteavecnotrecamaradeantispeciste

The third case that we need to bring to your attention isn’t by an activist doing unaccountable actions, but still an important case to support. A comrade from Brighton was arrested in a McDonald’s during a protest, and they are facing two different charges because of it. Multiple calls to action have been made, overground actions as disruptions and protests but also underground actions like smashing windows of McDonald’s. There was certain traction during the week of the court trial, but then it died down again. Their next day of trial is the 12th of September and the call to action still stands, so folks should be taking whatever action they can to fight back McDonald’s and to show solidarity with the comrade. They are using #disruptmcdonalds on social media to share actions.

There is no alternative but solidarity. Without solidarity, our movement dies down, diluted in vegan capitalism crap, and becomes assimilated by the corporate. Without acts of solidarity, our comrades will not carry on pushing forward because they will not feel safe if worse comes to worst. 

From Unoffensive, the biggest chunk of donations goes straight away to prisoner support. We don’t manage to help even a small fraction of what we should, and we understand that some folks prefer to send cash to specific campaigns than to a pool of money for anyone that needs it. Some folks prefer to remain anonymous and not make their legal struggles public, so the only way there is to support them is for groups like the ALFsg or us to send them cash. If you want to help, join our Patreon below. Or at least, send some cash through the links above. However it is, help out activists in need instead of vegan celebrities. It’s about time we shift the tide. 

www.patreon.com/animalliberation

So where do you stand? How are you showing solidarity? 

PHOTO: ZEROFOURSIXEIGHT on IG
Check their account here: 

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HELP WITH FINES, JOIN SOLIDARITY ACTIONS AND WRITE LETTERS TO PRISONERS.

As you know, part of our job is to offer prison and arrest support. We have received a heads up that a comrade in Australia is in need of help to be able to pay fines after being charged with “wilful damage” against butcher shops. They have set up a fundraising page and we are encouraging everybody to not only share, but donate as much as they are able to afford to help out our comrade.

You can find their fundraising page here, explaining the costs and the situation:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/animal-liberation-activism

You can read the filthy media report of the action just below:
https://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/story/6202213/vegan-attack-activist-vandalises-brisbane-butcher-shop/

Please, help them out however you are able to. If you want to avoid fees and want to donate to them straight away via paypal, please do so on this link:
https://www.paypal.me/jonopin

Another important thing to mention is the court trial of an activist that was detained during a disruption at McDonald’s. Court has summoned them on the 25th of July, and the group is asking for any worldwide solidarity actions people might want to do during that day, and to put a statement up and tag it with #disruptmcdonalds .

We received a text yesterday in relation to the solidarity actions via an anonymous email also asking for more radical, more concrete actions. Although from Unoffensive we do not promote or partake in criminal activity, we believe it is important for people to be aware of the call to action:

“Solidarity action.
Thursday 18th July, give a smashing hug to a McDonald’s near you. With someone on trial on the 25th for a McDonalds disruption we want international solidarity.
Hambacher forst also asked for solidarity against McDonalds. Also the uncountable number of animals and the rampant capitalist behaviour of the company needs not to remain unchecked.
Please include “#disruptmcdonalds” on the report and let people know it has happened the day after for max exposure via BiteBack or Unoffensiveanimal”

Finally, we would like to encourage everybody to spend half an hour today writing to Matthias, our comrade locked up in Switzerland accused of criminal damage on butcher shops, and to send them as much love and hugs as you can. Matthias does not have a postal address, but you can type a letter for them and send it to Solidarité avec nos camarades antispécistes détenu.e.s en Suisse via Private Message. It will take you five minutes, it will make their day.

SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON.

UNTIL WE WIN.

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HELP WITH FINES, JOIN SOLIDARITY ACTIONS AND WRITE LETTERS TO PRISONERS.

As you know, part of our job is to offer prison and arrest support. We have received a heads up that a comrade in Australia is in need of help to be able to pay fines after being charged with “wilful damage” against butcher shops. They have set up a fundraising page and we are encouraging everybody to not only share, but donate as much as they are able to afford to help out our comrade.

You can find their fundraising page here, explaining the costs and the situation:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/animal-liberation-activism

You can read the filthy media report of the action just below:
https://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/story/6202213/vegan-attack-activist-vandalises-brisbane-butcher-shop/

Please, help them out however you are able to. If you want to avoid fees and want to donate to them straight away via paypal, please do so on this link:
https://www.paypal.me/jonopin

Another important thing to mention is the court trial of an activist that was detained during a disruption at McDonald’s. Court has summoned them on the 25th of July, and the group is asking for any worldwide solidarity actions people might want to do during that day, and to put a statement up and tag it with #disruptmcdonalds .

We received a text yesterday in relation to the solidarity actions via an anonymous email also asking for more radical, more concrete actions. Although from Unoffensive we do not promote or partake in criminal activity, we believe it is important for people to be aware of the call to action:

“Solidarity action.
Thursday 18th July, give a smashing hug to a McDonald’s near you. With someone on trial on the 25th for a McDonalds disruption we want international solidarity.
Hambacher forst also asked for solidarity against McDonalds. Also the uncountable number of animals and the rampant capitalist behaviour of the company needs not to remain unchecked.
Please include “#disruptmcdonalds” on the report and let people know it has happened the day after for max exposure via BiteBack or Unoffensiveanimal”

Finally, we would like to encourage everybody to spend half an hour today writing to Matthias, our comrade locked up in Switzerland accused of criminal damage on butcher shops, and to send them as much love and hugs as you can. Matthias does not have a postal address, but you can type a letter for them and send it to Solidarité avec nos camarades antispécistes détenu.e.s en Suisse via Private Message. It will take you five minutes, it will make their day.

SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON.

UNTIL WE WIN.

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PRISON SUPPORT – SIX PEOPLE ARRESTED IN FRANCE AND ACCUSED OF ARSON AT A SLAUGHTERHOUSE.

 
Different French newspapers have reported six folks having been arrested last weekend just after a fire had started at a slaughterhouse.
 
According to the filth, they had been investigating the group for a while and they are accusing them of an arson at a hunting federation building. The police was on site when the slaughterhouse fire happened and they report the activists moving the animals away from the building before setting some bales of straw on fire. Cops also say they are linked to multiple anti hunting actions during November. They are accused of criminal damage and being part of a “criminal gang”.
 
They are all on bail and under investigation. No support group has approached Unoffensive for help, but we will be very happy to aid in whatever way is needed.
 
We will keep you informed as and when news reach us.
 
UNTIL ALL ARE FREE.
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PRISON SUPPORT – SIX PEOPLE ARRESTED IN FRANCE AND ACCUSED OF ARSON AT A SLAUGHTERHOUSE.

 
Different French newspapers have reported six folks having been arrested last weekend just after a fire had started at a slaughterhouse.
 
According to the filth, they had been investigating the group for a while and they are accusing them of an arson at a hunting federation building. The police was on site when the slaughterhouse fire happened and they report the activists moving the animals away from the building before setting some bales of straw on fire. Cops also say they are linked to multiple anti hunting actions during November. They are accused of criminal damage and being part of a “criminal gang”.
 
They are all on bail and under investigation. No support group has approached Unoffensive for help, but we will be very happy to aid in whatever way is needed.
 
We will keep you informed as and when news reach us.
 
UNTIL ALL ARE FREE.
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PRISON SUPPORT – SIX PEOPLE ARRESTED IN FRANCE AND ACCUSED OF ARSON AT A SLAUGHTERHOUSE.

 
Different French newspapers have reported six folks having been arrested last weekend just after a fire had started at a slaughterhouse.
 
According to the filth, they had been investigating the group for a while and they are accusing them of an arson at a hunting federation building. The police was on site when the slaughterhouse fire happened and they report the activists moving the animals away from the building before setting some bales of straw on fire. Cops also say they are linked to multiple anti hunting actions during November. They are accused of criminal damage and being part of a “criminal gang”.
 
They are all on bail and under investigation. No support group has approached Unoffensive for help, but we will be very happy to aid in whatever way is needed.
 
We will keep you informed as and when news reach us.
 
UNTIL ALL ARE FREE.
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PRISON SUPPORT – THREE PEOPLE IN PRISON ACCUSED OF “PROPERTY DESTRUCTION”. ANOTHER PERSON FINED 10,000 SWISS FRANCS FOR BEING PART OF AN OPEN RESCUE.

News arrive from our comrades in Switzerland. Three people are in preventive prison accused of property destruction in relation to multiple actions against speciesist business after a wave of window breaking in Switzerland. They will be held for a whole month before seeing the judge, even though the police has no evidence that links them with the butcher windows targeted or any other actions. They are being isolated in order to keep them away from news, they are not allowed to receive letters and the lawyers have warned that more arrests are still possible. 

Meanwhile, an activist involved in a slaughterhouse blockade and open rescue of goats early this year has received their sentence and has to pay 10,000 Swiss francs in total. They have a gofundme and it would be appreciated if people donate and share as much as possible. 

https://www.gofundme.com/soutiendurgence

It is in times like this, when the state clamps down with repression overwhelmingly higher than the judges action that we need to realise they must be scared of the tactics. And it is in times like this that we should show solidarity the most. 

FIRE TO ALL PRISONS. FREEDOM TO ALL PRISONERS! 

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PRISON SUPPORT – THREE PEOPLE IN PRISON ACCUSED OF “PROPERTY DESTRUCTION”. ANOTHER PERSON FINED 10,000 SWISS FRANCS FOR BEING PART OF AN OPEN RESCUE.

News arrive from our comrades in Switzerland. Three people are in preventive prison accused of property destruction in relation to multiple actions against speciesist business after a wave of window breaking in Switzerland. They will be held for a whole month before seeing the judge, even though the police has no evidence that links them with the butcher windows targeted or any other actions. They are being isolated in order to keep them away from news, they are not allowed to receive letters and the lawyers have warned that more arrests are still possible. 

Meanwhile, an activist involved in a slaughterhouse blockade and open rescue of goats early this year has received their sentence and has to pay 10,000 Swiss francs in total. They have a gofundme and it would be appreciated if people donate and share as much as possible. 

https://www.gofundme.com/soutiendurgence

It is in times like this, when the state clamps down with repression overwhelmingly higher than the judges action that we need to realise they must be scared of the tactics. And it is in times like this that we should show solidarity the most. 

FIRE TO ALL PRISONS. FREEDOM TO ALL PRISONERS!