Category: The Frontlines

“May 6th, so-called Australia
 
Opening Hunt for Oaklands Hunt Club 2023 was very different than previous years.With some big losses for Oaklands and hunt exposure now in the public eye due to some amazing journalism and shift in community support for sabs, Oaklands are desperate and violent.

MHS successfully blocked the horse and hound truck from leaving – equipped for a hunt, for an hour. While the hunt called police and attempted to have members of the team arrested, the hunt failed. No saboteurs were arrested, and following police instructions, sabs moved their car and proceeded to drive to the known hunting grounds for the hunt. They have not changed their illegal hunting behaviour in decades.On arrival at a location in Pyalong the hunt announced that they felt followed – queue the possibility  of the hunt takings saboteurs to court for an intervention  order yet again – and they will fail – again.

The silent victims. The hounds.Oaklands previous hunt master disposed of his hounds by shooting them and throwing them in a pit located on property at Oaklands.We know where that pit is – Oaklands won’t engage in conversation about it.Going equipped to hunt with hounds and allowing the hounds to tear apart a fox is illegal. Just because it’s done on private property does not make it legal.

 
More diversion as the hunt scrambled their riders and supports to a location at Pyalong. We observed horse floats arriving, unimpressed with the delay to the opening hunt and having to make last minute changes. Sorry not sorry scumbags – you cannot vandalise our countryside.With the hunt hiding on private property. Saboteurs using maps and gps, located public roads and public land to get in front of the hunt and pre-spray areas. Australia, unlike the UK does not have/provide right of footpaths in the countryside. Enabling the hunt to simply take off and hide.The blatant hiding by the hunt is because they know they are hunting illegally.Saboteurs managed to correctly predict the direction of the hunt and turned the hunt back.The hunts support on quad bike and atv’s confronted our team, and with one member of their support arriving by 4X4.This person was angry and violent. Trying to gain access to one sab car and making threats to kill and harm.Thankfully our second car arrived and after a short attempt to deescalate the situation that mans invitation for confrontation was taken up.Hunt support pulled an illegal extendable baton from his car and proceeded with threats to kill. A stand off ensured and saboteurs managed to stay safe and walk away. We don’t engage with basic men with weapons.

The crew. This season see Melbourne Hunt Saboteurs at full strength. With a wide and confidently skilled crew. While there’s always room for more in the team – this season is shaping up to be intense.”

We’ve not found any links to send donations to MHS but we found an Amazon wishlist (grim really) if anyone wants to buy them some tools to fight the hunters. Many of the items are for the duck hunt, but some are obviously tools that can be used all year round!

https://www.amazon.com.au/hz/wishlist/ls/AI6B8ARWT8UM

It’s been over a week since Palestine Action started their siege against Leicester’s Israeli weapons factory ‘UAV Tactical Systems’. Here’s a run down of some of the goings-on.

A heavy police and private security presence in anticipation of the siege didn’t stop activists setting up camp in the trees near the factory. Going unnoticed by the police for an embarrassingly long time.

A camp was also set up in the road directly in front of the factory, with folks pitching tents on the tarmac. Despite police kettling protesters, making many arrests and confiscating a lot of supplies at the camp, it was rebuilt and remains with the strong support of the local community. The heavy handedness of the police saw 33 people arrested by Wednesday, just 3 days into the siege. 5 more were arrested yesterday for allegedly breaking police orders telling them where to stand. Police have broken into cars by smashing windows and even cut the traverse of a climbing activist, intentionally putting their life at risk. A continuous armed police presence aims to intimidate any dissent. The arrests have not been limited to onsite as two main pal-action organizers nowhere near the factory were followed by surveillance and arrested on the motorway before being transferred to Leicester. Currently, everyone arrested has been released but with restrictive bail conditions.

While some people have been locked on in the road or occupied trees, many others have been doing dabke workshops, listening to speeches and playing football. In spite of police violence, it appears spirits are high. If you’d like to support, PalAction have and continue to call for boots on the ground day or night, location postcode is LE19 1WZ. If coming by car, parking away for your safety and anonymity is advised.

On May 1st, Pal Action is starting their siege of the Elbit’s factory in Leicester.

The group states: “UAV TACTICAL SYSTEMS, owned by Elbit Systems, sends millions of pounds worth of military equipment to Israel each year, straight from the Leicester factory.”

You can join them on May 1st from 3pm at the gates of UAV Tactical Systems, Unit F Meridian East, Leicester, LE19 1TP, UK. Bring a sleeping bag and camping equipment – PalAction is planning to stay until Elbit leaves.

If you are looking for alternative accommodation in Leicester to support the siege, email [email protected] or visit palestineaction.org/siege.

For anyone planning to join and support on the ground, the group organised a shuttle bus for free leaving from Leicester train station public car part/taxi rank to the factory. The bus will be leaving at 12pm, 2pm and 3pm. A clear sign will help you find the right one.

In the runup to the siege, PalAction has set up a surprise camp next to the factory, hiding in trees and unnoticed by the police and Elbit’s security for 12 hours!

Photo: The photo shows PalAction activists setting up their surprise camp in the trees at Leicester’s Elbit factory.

The privatisation and the redevelopment of Exarchia’s Strefi Hill that started two years ago, is the second plan by the state and the municipality to sell out the area to private companies. In January ’21, the council conceded the hill to a real estate company, Prodea Investments.

Strefi hill is one of the last green free spaces in central Athens and also a place for assemblies, meetings and solidarity events. The open assembly for the defence of Strefi hill counts two years, with daily actions for the protection of the hill, the nature and the non-human animals who live in it.

The defenders of the hill succeeded to block many of the Prodea’s interferences, by pushing back the surveyors and the workers. Actions like marches, demonstrations outside Prodea’s offices and the city hall, tree spiking, daily patrols, airbnb building attacks or days of film screenings, activities for children, cleaning, gatherings with vegan collective kitchen, have been trying to keep the hill alive and free, even though it’s been flooded by multiple cops’ units.

Unfortunately, all of the above were not enough to prevent the destruction of the hill and to stop once and for all the redevelopment plan. Under the excuse of “flood protection” plans, Prodea along with the Unison Facilities Services, have already started destroying the hill by cutting the trees and the bushes, where the turtles and other animals find their shelter and their food. Also, the intense lighting that is included in the project will push away many bird species. Prodea’s plan is an anti- ecological plan and will totally affect the life of human and non-human animals and has to be stopped before it’s too late.

Exarchia and Strefi hill will not be given away without a fight and their history cannot be erased so easily. It’s our duty to defend the mountains, the forests, the hills, the parks, the seas and every form of life.

Capitalism will not win!

For earth liberation! For animal liberation! For human liberation!

Exarchia has been a target by the state for years through police control and brutality, gentrification, evictions, arrests. In 2019, the greek state began massive evictions of anarchist and refugee squats in Exarchia, trying to muzzle all the political voices. The government’s plan is to put the history of Exarchia in a “museum” that will be remembered only through tourist tours around the neighbourhood, while the place will be available only for the privileged ones, since the locals will move to other neighbourhoods.

The plan includes the construction of a metro station on the square, the conversion of the Polytechnic school into a museum and the privatisation of Strefi hill where cameras, gates and security posts will be placed. Last August, despite the continuous fights against it by groups and individuals, sheet metal was placed around the square of Exarchia for the construction of the metro station. The spot for the construction site wasn’t chosen randomly. Police forces are “protecting” the construction site 24/7, by bullying, offending, beating and arresting anyone who is trying to resist.

The neighbourhood of Exarchia (Greece) has a radical, revolutionary, anarchist political background with continuous struggles, solidarity places to welcome and protect the refugees and migrants, squats, political assemblies and social centres.

Back in 1973, Athens Polytechnic uprising began by the students against the military junta. The students decided to show their rejection to this regime with massive demonstrations. Students, citizens and workers became one and rebelled against the dictatorship. The students ended up inside the Polytechnic school and occupied the place. The tanks entered the place by crashing the gates on November 17. Many students and residents got injured, or died around the area. Years later, during the annual 17 November protests, young people continued getting murdered by the state. Iakovos Koumis and Stamatina Kanellopoulou were the victims of police brutality in 1980 and the 15 year old Michalis Kaltezas was shot dead by a cop in 1985. The Polytechnic university, which is located in the area of Exarchia, was a factor for the neighbourhood to acquire the political features that it has until today.

Until a few years ago, Polytechnic university was a place of resistance, freedom and expression.

The police brutality against a 15 year old student was repeated on December 6 of 2008. This time the target was Alexis Grigoropoulos who was hanging out with his friends in Exarchia. Two cops drew their guns on the kids and one of the cops murdered Alexis in cold blood.

Alexis’ murder was the spark that turned the anger into a fire and burnt the whole city. The riots started immediately and the centre of Athens became a war zone. The uprising lasted for weeks and was the biggest that took place in Greece, after 1973. “These days belong to Alexis” was written all over the city. Soon, the whole country was protesting for Alexis.

The “Black December” started spreading everywhere.

Hunt Saboteurs Sweden has been expanding massively in the past year, taking part in multiple actions against hunting, and are in need of support. They depend solely on donations, and to make ends meet many of the hunt sabs have been spending a lot of their personal money just to keep the fuel costs covered!

With more and more folks joining their ranks and more actions in the horizon, they are asking for economic support to be able to afford new tools to sabotage the hunts, from cameras, radios and torches to fuel costs, if you can donate a couple of coins they will be greatly appreciative of the solidarity.

They have also said that if you have spare cameras, or radios or other tools that could be useful in their fight for the wild, they are happy to receive those instead of money, so have a look around and see if there is anything spare!

Their fundraiser is only asking for 220 EUR, which means if you all donate just 1 EUR we would raise that money and much more very quickly! If you have any to spare, please drop them some coins here:

https://www.firefund.net/fightforthewildlife

You can get in touch with them here:

IG: @huntsabssweden
FB: https://www.facebook.com/HuntSaboteursSweden
Email: [email protected]

SOLIDARITY WITH THE WILD, AND WITH THOSE TAKING ACTION!

On January 18th police murdered a forest defender, Tortuguita. Immediately, a call was put out for a “night of rage”. The rage was instead was not limited to one night, nor only retaliation.These actions have been claimed in honor, memory, vengeance, revenge, for, or in solidarity with Tortuguita.

From January 18th onward across the USA people held vigils, built barricades, attacked a realty office, attacked banks, smashed the windows of the skyscraper housing the Atlanta Police Foundation, torched a police cruiser, vandalized cars in a Porsche dealership, attacked UPS shipping center, set construction equipment on fire, and attacked the offices of those responsible for cop city. Across turtle island we felt it from California, Illinois, North Carolina, Minnesota, Colorado, Michigan, Atlanta, Georgia, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Oregon,  Michigan, New York, Colorado, Indiana, and Minnesota.

 In February across the USA, banks were attacked, excavators in Weelaunee forest were set on fire, Amazon delivery vehicles vandalized, Atlas offices targeted, a Norfolk Southern rail line sabotaged, the home addresses of employees of Atlas were published, in France a transmission pylon was set on fire. Rage was had from California, Brooklyn, New York, Georgia, South Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, to Bure France and back.

 In March during the week of action in Atlanta, GA USA, a demonstration of 300 people stormed and destroyed a construction site and police staging area, and later that week machinery in Weelaunee was destroyed. More construction equipment was sabotaged and, offices vandalized. In late March the home addresses were published of several Judges, a Police Investigator, an Assistant Chief of police, and a GBI Special Agent.

 In April three excavators owned by Brent Scarbrough Company were burnt. (Brent Scarbrough is the company and individual responsible for clear-cutting the Weelaunee Forest)

By carrying our friends in our hearts and actions they live on in spirit and in memory. With Love and Rage, we carry on those who have been taken from us.

The Campaign for the Abolition of the Fur Trade (CAFT) keeps throwing blows at the capitalist enterprises profiting from fur around the world. After successfully campaigning against the sale of fur by multiple brands, they are now focused on two main targets.

The first is LVMH, which is a conglomerate of luxury goods businesses headed by Bernard Arnault (the world’s latest richest man). LVMH owns brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dio and Fendi – each of which sell fur coats.

To coincide with LVMH’s AGM (meeting of shareholders), CAFT is joining an international spell of campaigining from April 20th to April 30th to get them to commit to a fur-free policy. In this period, the group calls for everyone to get active by demonstrating outside your local store, signing CAFT’s petition, leafleting, doing video outreach, stickering, or by getting creative! Full details and resources found here on the CAFT USA website. Wherever you are, find the closest LVMH (or any of it’s daughter companies!) location and join the fight against the sale of fur!

As well as LVMH, CAFT is targeting MaxMara, an Italy-based business which sells high-end ‘fashion’. In March, one activist in Los Angeles was arrested for ‘disturbing the peace’ during a demonstration. CAFT calls for activists to continue campaigning against MaxMara until they take the easy option and drop fur!

With both targets, CAFT is willing to offer support in getting started if you email them. No action is too small; every action makes a difference!

Check CAFT out:

https://caftusa.org

IG: @caftusa

Donations: https://caftusa.org/donate/

As part of the frontlines series, UA will be providing a monthly round-up of hunt sabotage and other forms of wildlife protection that happens within the UK and Ireland. This will include events, actions and developments that have taken place within the last month relating to ongoing campaigns against hunting with hounds, the shooting industry, the badger cull and beyond.

We want to stress that our aim of this is not to cover everything. There are so many active groups and individuals that doing justice to all of their work is an impossible task. Instead, what we intend to do is highlight key examples of tactics and strategies that are being used and contribute to a conversation about how these produce results. With that said, some do not believe that the state is the answer. Legal reform or prosecutions may be mentioned, to give context, but it can be argued that animal liberation, let alone total liberation, can not be achieved through these methods.

While we prepare for our first round-up, we ask that groups and individuals to reach out to us. As part of these releases, we would like to include relevant imagery from campaigns relating to hunt sabotage and other forms of wildlife protection. As mentioned before, we cannot include everything but what we do feature will be credited (unless requested otherwise). Imagery can be sent to allemailsarebastards(attt)protonmail(dddot)com .

Feel free to also contact us with relevent campaign updates but please do not detail planned actions or illegal activities. Detailed information on how to submit hit reports, however, can be found on the ‘contact us’ tab on our website which provides a safer method of submitting.

NO LIFE LIKE THE WILD