Category: The Frontlines

We’ve received a reportback from a protest agains Max Mara in Athens.

“Protest outside the MaxMara store #FurFreeFriday

On Saturday, November 25, members of the Open Antispeciesist Assembly in Athens, Greece, held a protest against the fur industry outside the MaxMara store in Kolonaki.

“We chose this specific store, to support a global campaign that has cbeen ongoing since the summer against major fur companies that continue to sell fur from tortured animals. For almost an hour, we managed to blockc the entrance of the store with banners and disrupt the smooth flow of goods and customers on a Saturday morning. In this context, flyers were distributed to passersby and slogans were chanted.

NO ANIMAL IS A COMMODITY – NO MORE BLOOD FOR THEIR PROFITS

BOYCOTT EVERY COMPANY THAT TORTURES AND MURDERS ANIMALS FOR PROFITS

TOTAL STRUGGLE AGAINST THE STATE AND EVERY FORM OF AUTHORITY”

[Image credit: @glasgowhuntsabs]

The main hunting season in the UK & Ireland is in full swing. Equally, so are the efforts to prevent packs of hounds from killing fox, hare and deer. With the demise of hunting in Scotland, hunt saboteurs from Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond have taken their efforts across the border to support those in the north of England, including against the Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Foxhounds and the North Cumberland Hunt. Though using packs of hounds to hunt has effectively been criminalised in Scotland, activity of the remaining hunts continues to be monitored.

In England and Wales, where hunting is technically legally restricted, hunts continue to operate how they please. Despite the best efforts of Devon County Hunt Sabs, a fox was killed by the Eggesford Hunt during their opening meet. In a statement, they confirm that though they continue to share evidence with the police, they know they are not interested and that is why saboteurs continue to take direct action themselves.

A deer was also attacked by hounds of the Puckeridge and Essex Hunt whilst attempting to hunt a fox. Hunting the wrong animal, known as ‘rioting’, is simply seen as collateral damage to those involved in or in support of hunting, with deer and domestic pets being the most common victims. Hunt saboteurs from groups East Herts and East Northants, as well as Herts Wildlife Monitors, were able to intervene and prevent a kill.

Some hunts however, intend to hunt deer. Failing to successfully hunt and kill a hind, hunt staff from the Quantock Staghounds attacked saboteurs from North Dorset and Mendip after they had called off the hounds. Multiple saboteurs sustained injuries, including to the head, with one having to be taken to hospital. The camera containing evidence was also smashed. Violence was also seen at a meet of the South Shropshire Hunt, where a terrierman used their quad bike to run down an opponent, whilst they hunted on land they had no permission to be on. It is reported they suffered a broken leg.

Rumours are circulating that the Suffolk Hunt may turn to drag hunting; a form of hunting where hounds follow a genuine artificial scent. This is not to be confused with trial hunting, which was created in response to the Hunting Act 2004 and is used as a guise of illegal hunting. In recent years, this hunt has been consistently sabotaged by multiple groups including North London and Suffolk & Essex. The pressure has caught up with them and resulted in the huntsman and other staff walking away. Failing to replace these fundamental roles has meant they have had to split their hounds into neighbouring packs. The Suffolk Hunt are hanging on by a thread. Direct action has been a major part of this achievement and shows that, regardless of their reputation, any hunt is capable of collapse.

A number of hunts have traditioned to drag hunting since the ban which reaffirms that they can do it, it’s simply a choice. Though there are legitimate concerns of continuing to breed hounds and horses for this purpose, at least drag hunting operates without the need to kill wildlife, trespass and cause danger to road users. Hunts who refuse to transition, or simply disband, will continue to feel the pressure from hunt saboteurs and the wider community.

An abundance of hit reports were published by sabotage groups throughout the month, with too many to mention here. For updates and other developments, find your local group online and follow them on social media platforms. Support can also be given, and tactics can be replicated, abroad. Skill sharing can begin simply by networking online.   

November has also seen a mixture of results within the legal world. Chris Mardles, former member of the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt, was found guilty of using his horse to ride down a saboteur from Northants, causing multiple broken bones, a punctured lung and required airlifting to hospital. The prosecution took 3 years but resulted in an 18-month prison sentence.

In complete contrast, a member of the Cottesmore Hunt who intentionally trampled a saboteur and later arrested for ‘attempted GBH’, was found not guilty. Hertfordshire Hunt Sabs stated that this was because of the influence of positive character references from his mother-in-law as well as Lady Sarah McCorquodale, the sister of Princess Diana. Ultimately

NO LIFE LIKE THE WILD

“after reading about finalnail.com i decided to finally visit some farms. i visited woodring fur farm (3020 250th street fredericksburg, iowa) and drewelow & sons (2477 239th street new hampton, iowa). pleasantly surprised to find overgrown weeds, decaying sheds, and no mink! confirmed closed”

 Image credit: @derbyshireagainsthecull

Action against the intensive badger cull continued throughout October. Many speculate about the political interests of culling badgers in the future, following recent statements from politicians but, even if it were to be ‘phased out’ by a successive government post-election, much of the damage has already been done as 210,000 badgers already murdered since 2013. Besides, this has not stopped the 29 zones from continuing this year, which has maximum target of 24,000 individuals, and is unlikely going to make a difference to the government licenses that have been issued for the upcoming years. These figures are incredibly bleak but they could be much higher if it wasn’t for the action being taken against cage trapping and free-shooting. The desperation to kill has been quite obvious with Underground Badger Syndicate smashing cages soon after they had been replaced, multiple times. This repetitive behaviour was also seen by Derbyshire Against The Cull, joined by neighbouring hunt sabotage groups, who have stopped the same shooters night in, night out. Hunt saboteurs elsewhere in the country have responded to cages they have found, sometimes while out stopping a cub hunt, showing that anyone can produce results by checking up on a local sett. Intensive culling is intended to be carried out over a 6-week period but licenses in multiple zones have been granted extensions, which is a strong indication that direct action is causing major problems for badger killers.

Proposals for badger culling in Northern Ireland have been foiled following a judicial review spear headed by Wild Justice and Northern Ireland Badger Group. Though there is likely to be further pressure from Northern Ireland’s Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to appease wildlife killing farmers, there is a relief that for now that the plans to kill 4,000 badgers a year aren’t going ahead.

Fox and Hare hunts have continued to feel the pressure as they attempt to hunt fox cubs and leverets in preparation for the upcoming main hunting season. Sabotages groups across the UK have been relentless, with some active multiple times of the week, including West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs who were out 6 days in just one and Mendip Hunt Sabs who disrupted three hunts in one day. Later in the month, some hunts had their ‘opening meets’, which mark the start of the main hunting season, such as the Pimpernel Beagles who were forced to pack up on the first day of the hare hunting season following the arrival of saboteurs from North Dorset. Two saboteurs from this group were also targeted at their homes and had vehicles attacked, following the groups’ sustained pressure on the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt. They responded by stating ‘as history has shown, violence never makes sabs go away’ and that they continue undeterred.  Alongside other sabotage groups as well as Wildlife Guardian, they also have targeted stag hunts throughout the month.

New legislation in Scotland came into affect on 3rd October, which is believed to close loopholes in a previous law and effectively outlaw hunting with packs of hounds. Though it is important to understand the limitations of political reform and that the state is not the answer, this legislation has undoubtedly been a disaster for hunting. The Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire Hunt, who have existed for 250 years, have already folded while the Fife Foxhounds have claimed to switch to drag hunting; where hounds hunt a genuine non-animal based scent, unlike trial hunting. Glasgow Hunt Sabs stated: “Our sabs along with our predecessors have worked tirelessly for decades, working towards this momentous day.” Though sabotage groups played a considerable of part in this, this achievement is an example of how communities and wider society, using a variation of methods, can pressure the government to make change. The behaviour and longevity of the 8 remaining hunts in Scotland is yet to be seen, and will not go unchallenged.

Paul Allman, a hunt saboteur from Stockport Monitors who was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, has been released. Messages of support and solidarity to him via the group are still appreciated as adjusting to life after prison can be difficult. His incarceration should be a reminder that the legal system is ultimately not on our side, even if there we have the odd legal victory. The state is not the answer. We are.

NO LIFE LIKE THE WILD

On the 12th October Pal Action US staged a mass action against Elbits Cambridge facility in Massachusetts, USA 

Multiple of people have been arrested after they knock down the barricades to the Massachusetts facility

That evening the building was also defaced with graffiti reading 
“ELBIT PROFITS FROM GENOCIDE”
and “WAR CRIMINALS WORK HERE”

Then on Sunday key card scanners where smashed stopping staff from entering and the building drenched in red paint and graffiti reading “GAZA RESISTS” “ELBIT ARMS GENOCIDE”

According to reports they have shut the facility down 

More to follow…

Go and give our comrades some support and love at Pal_actionUS on the socials @pal_actionUS

Do you live in the UK and hate that Great Britain is complicit in the murder of Palestinians? Have you been to demos, but they just did not cut it for you? Did you consider joining Pal Action at one of their blockades or sieges, but you did not fancy getting nicked? This might be just what you’re looking for!

Pal Action, the British action group campaigning against the weapons companies manufacturing the tools used by the Israeli government to murder in Palestine, has launched a new underground cells call to action.

Previously known for very devastating but arrestable actions, Pal Action has launched Palestine Action Underground, a call for anonymous and autonomous cells to take underground direct action against Elbit and all associates who aid them into the manufacturing of weapons.

They have put together an incredibly comprehensive manual which, even if you are not interested in taking action against Elbit, is an incredible blueprint on how to create an affinity group and take action whilst keeping safe. We would like to mention that some of the tech advice is questionable (we would never recommend anything less than throwaway emails, and drop box is not a safe media platform), but overall they have managed to create a very impressive guide to taking action whilst keeping yourself and your insurrectionary lovers safe.

Check their action guide here:

bit.ly/UndergroundManual

Alongside the manual, they also have published a ver nifty website with a map of the UK pointing out all the potential targets that someone fighting back against British complicity in the Palestinian genocide might want to have a look at.

www.elbitsites.uk

Have a look at the resources and see how you can help fight back against the bloodshed that Britain is complicit of!

ZERO STATE SOLUTION! DESTROY THE INVADER!

Cero Jaulas is a Spanish campaign against the trapping of pigeons by Ciudad Real’s council. Those pigeons are live trapped as “wildlife control”, then sold to birds of pray trainers and to shooting ranges to be killed in bloodsports.

In 2022 they produced a video where they showed this process, animals being trapped in the city, sitting in the cages for up to a week with no shelter and no means to escape, to then be transported to shooting ranges and be put inside a cannon like tube that shoots them up into the sky for some brave human to blast them off the sky with a shotgun.

Over the past year, the campaign has put pressure in the local government to stop this practice both in person and over social media. Last week, they reached out to let us know some folks had also done some adhacking and send a little video.

Whilst the campaign seems young it is a great opportunity for folks to experiment all the different ways they can try in order to stop the local government from murdering pigeons in such a brutal way.

You can find them on Twitter @cerojaulas and on their website

https://cerojaulas.noblogs.org

STOP CAPTURA Y MUERTE DE PALOMAS!

A Palestinian solidarity organization organized a demonstration on October 14th in central Stockholm, Sweden. The demonstration’s topic was “Demonstration against the genocide in Gaza – We stand in solidarity with Palestine and all children and civilians”

Lots of people came to the demonstration. There were thousands who gathered to show solidarity with Palestine, and express disgust at Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

[Photo of the demonstration in central Stockholm, in solidarity with Palestine]

It was a motley crowd that gathered in support of Palestine. Besides the majority of pro Palestinian folks, there were party political liberals, revolutionary communists, and of course various anti-authoritarian activists, that participated in the demonstration.

About twenty Nazis also appeared at the demonstration. The Nazis had banners with messages about crushing Zionism. If the Nazis had thought they would be welcomed at the demo, they were quickly taught how wrong they had been. When the Nazis began to speak, the rest of the protesters turned their backs on them. The situation got heated. The Nazis were obviously outnumbered, scared and started leave the demonstration. Several of the demonstrators wanted to help the nazis on their way, the crowd began chanting “No Nazis on our streets,” a classic anti-fascist slogan, and it wasn’t long before the chant echoed throughout the square.

As usual, the cops had to come to the Nazis rescue. Although the police tried to escort the scum away from the demo, pro Palestinian demonstrators and anti-fascists made sure the pack quickly left. The police are not our friends. We keep ourselves safe!

[ Nazis being escorted out of demo, cops protecting Nazis]

Once the Nazis had left the demo, and reassembled at their gathering place, they found the next unpleasant surprise. A parting gift from anti-fascists. The Nazi’s cars had been sabotaged, which made it difficult for them to leave Stockholm (despite trying to gather a large group, the Nazis only managed to be about 20 people, and many of the participants were travelers, who had a long journey to and from Stockholm).

[Image of the nazis trying reassemble after the demo, with text: ”Nice to come to broken cars after a long day in town”, published by AFA Stockholm]

We are excited to hear about the resistance against the Nazis in Sweden, about the strong support for Palestine. We also heard about fascists in other cities, eg London, who have tried to participate in solidarity actions for Palestine. However, without success, as anti-fascists have thrown them out. To be pro Palestine is to be against oppression. Fascists are never allowed on our streets!

[Image, published by London Anti-Fascist Assembly, about fascists trying to show up at solidarity demo for Palestine]

NO NAZIS! NO FASCISTS! FUCK ALL OPPRESSION! END THE OCCUPATION! FREE PALESTINE!

It’s been almost a year since Strefi hill became a construction site guarded by cops 24/7. It’s been almost a year since the municipality has been trying to take away anything that is wild and free on the hill. The real estate company Prodea Investments and Unison entered Strefi on October 3rd 2022 with “redevelopment plans”.

Of course, their plans did not restore any of the hill’s problems, but caused more instead. Flooding and the corrosion of the soil are the main problems of the hill. As you can see in the pictures, even after a small amount of rain, everything is falling apart after Prodea’s flood protection project and the excavations for underground lighting and CCTV networks. The majority of the plants that hold the hill together have been eradicated. 

In August, a machine eradicated the endemic protected species “Silene spinescens.” Comrades attempted to stop it, but they were once again threatened with prosecution. All the non-human inhabitants, are facing big difficulties to survive. Their nests have been destroyed, and they have started looking for food in the city. The result is one young tortoise dead by a car few days ago, a lot of them are missing (a protected species among them) and one of them got a broken shell probably by a bulldozer. The number of the dead tortoises would be bigger if people didn’t put water for them during summer. We cannot let them continue killing the life of the Hill.

It’s been almost 3 years of assemblies, events, protests, marches, clashes, in defence of Strefi hill! We will continue until the hill and the neighbourhood of Exarchia are free again.

Our fight is for freedom, life and nature.

NATURE WILL WIN!

Mountain Valley Pipeline is a 303 mile long natural gas pipeline  from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia that began construction in 2018 that has been, and continues to be, resisted through lawsuits, tree-sits, aerial blockades, walk-ons, lockdowns, car barricades, and most recently sabotage and arson. 

In July the supreme court filed an emergency order ruling the immediate resumption of the construction of the pipeline and dismissing existing litigation.
In September a judge granted temporary injunction against six protestors, barring them from returning to the site.

Machinery sabotage and arson has taken place in these three months, and the most recent communique A CALL TO WAR AGAINST THE PIPELINE says

“we believe that mvp is financially precarious and can still be stopped through relentless destructive actions, alongside the scaling-up of the existing campaign to cause disruptions and delays. to this end, we call upon like-minded individuals and groups to travel to so-called virginia and west virginia to inflict maximum economic damage against mvp by any means at your disposal. we must demoralize the enemy and prove that their project is doomed to never be completed. A map of the pipeline showing incomplete water crossings can be found at tinyurl.com/mvprfuckers. […] We have seen campaign after campaign fail to stop pipelines over the past decade, and we cannot afford to keep losing.[…] warriorup.noblogs.org and tension.noblogs.org are good starting points to find information on various arson and sabotage techniques.
[…]the only way to stop the deterioration of the climate from getting exponentially worse is to immediately halt the expansion of new fossil fuel infrastructure, and to shut down and dismantle existing infrastructure. wherever you live, there’s a pipeline near you that you can go shut off yourself.”