Category: Unoffensive Reports

We have received 53 emails and messages about the “gunman action” in Ukraine, asking us why we hadn’t reported on it, our opinion on it and if we have more information. Initially we did not want to reply to them, but seeing that so many people are actually reaching out, we’ve decided to write something.

Let’s get the standard things out of the way. We don’t have an opinion as a collective because our job isn’t to pass on judgement on the actions that folks take. We have personal opinions, but Unoffensive Animal is a media platform and we are not going to decide what is a good action and what is a bad action.

That said, let’s talk about what’s important. NUANCE. It is missing.

What do we know about this action? We know that this person took hostages in a bus, apparently had explosives around and that there was a few shots fired. We know that there were eleven requests made by Makshim. We know that one of them was a request for the president of Ukraine to upload a video on Facebook endorsing Earthlings. We know that another request was for Orthodox oligarchs to “recognise live on social media that they are terrorists”. We know that Makshim wrote on his socials “Happy Anti-State day” just before the action.

And that’s all we know. There were ELEVEN requests. One of them had something to do with an animal rights documentary. Another one, with positions of power and religion. Yet we feel entitled to judge the action, to call it an animal rights action and to develop a discourse pro or against the actions of this person, who has not made any statements in relation to it and who’s whole character has been described for a single media channel.

If we were to judge this action based on the information given, we would understand it a lot more towards an anti-state, anarchist action than an animal rights action. They are connected and interlinked, but remember the nuances we were talking about? If this was (with a big IF) an anarchist action and knowing that this action was reported solely through a Russian-state owned media channel, it is of no surprise that we are missing most of the information about it, making it sound like a “crazy person who wanted people to watch earthlings”. (Let’s never forget the war against anarchism that Russia is fighting, sending 14 year old children to prison for having anarchist literature at home).

Where we want to go with this is that there is not enough information about this action to actually know what happened, and that instead if entertaining ourselves in the circus that social media has become we probably should get hands on and make this month be remembered in the history of animal liberation as something more than the Earthlings bus hostage action.

See you in the next riot.

UA.

PS: Portland riot-folk have issued a worldwide call to support. We will publish about it, but most of you can use fingers to type, so get clued up and start helping!!!!

Today, a year ago, Willem took action against ICE. He carried six magazines and a home built “ghost” AR-15. He directed his rage against the so called “immigration and customs enforcement of the USA”. He set fire to vehicles in the perimeter of the detention centre. He was shot dead by police.

He knew full well he was going to die during his action. He knew full well why he was taking action. In his last letter he says:
“To my comrades:
I regret that I will miss the rest of the revolution.
Thank you for the honor of having me in your midst.”

Willem took action because he knew the power he had in his hands. He understood he would become a martyr and he believed that his actions might spark the necessary change towards a fairer society.

Today, ICE keeps imprisoning folks in the US that have commuted the terrible crime of not being born in the USA. Today, the equivalent of ICE in every country in the western world does the exact same thing. They enforce racial privilege in the me of ” safety”.

Today we remember him with solidarity. And not with “solidarity”, but with solidarity as a verb. Do not, ever, let his death be for nothing.

Rest in power comrade.

“You don’t have to burn the motherfucker down, but are you going to just stand by?” – Willem.

Let’s get the bandanas out of the way first shall we? You’ve asked for them over, and over, and over again, so there are now bandanas back on stock on the website alongside patches. Last time they sold out hours after uploading them. Go check if there still are any left. They are handprinted so expect rough designs and imperfections.

To make it even more exciting, we’ve made TEN bundles of Bandana and Flag for 25 GBP. So basically the fastest ten people will get a really nice deal!

Now, to important business: We are super excited to be stocking Wildfire Magazine, a new anarchist, animal liberation magazine full of artwork, photography, news about direct action, tips and tricks, philosophy, theory and even a ridiculous comic series called Black Mask drawn by Praxis.

We have attached the index of the magazine to this post for you to see how it looks like. It is pretty sick!

Wildfire is also Bulk selling bundles for groups who want to make some cash towards their campaigns, so if you want to sell the mags and put the cash towards a grassroots group or campaign, message them on wildfire magazine (at) riseup (dot) net.

And that’s basically it, go to the shop page on our website and have some beginning of the month radical fun!

www.unoffensiveanimal.is/collections

UNTIL WE WIN!

As many of you know, we’ve had to spend quite a bit of money on setting up a new website and web server to be able to carry on the work, as well as working on the internet security of the site. When we got back, some folks very kindly donated a bit of money, but it is the middle of the month and we are still short by 500 USD!

So hear us out. We got eight “From Dusk ’til Down” by Keith Mann, probably one of the most exhaustive books on the history of the Animal al liberation movement and direct action towards animal liberation. And we want to give them away FOR FREE.

The first six merch orders over 50 GBP will automatically get one of the books. The other two books will be gifted randomly to another two people, regardless of how much money they spent on the order. Every single order that you folks put through until Wednesday will also include the latest ALFsg Magazine and a bunch of Unoffensive stickers. Doesn’t sound bad does it?

Remember that we do this because we need to raise some funds to be able to finalise new and exciting ideas that we think will be fantastic for everybody.

So head to www.unoffensiveanimal.is/collections and grab yourself some merch, and some goodies and support the cause.

If you can’t afford it, or if you don’t need new clothing, sharing with your friends and followers is always incredibly appreciated and can make it or break it! 

If you want to support us in other ways, remember that we have a patreon: 

www.patreon.com/animalliberation

And a PayPal to chuck some coins:

https://www.paypal.me/unoffensiveanimal112

PS: Have you experienced any trouble with our merch in the past few weeks? Please drop us an email on unoffensiveshop (at) riseup (dot) net

UNTIL WE WIN! 

We have made the decision to cancel the planned event. It is sad and we cannot negate how fantastic the two previous weeks of action have been, but with the current situation and with people and borders in lockdown, trying to arrange an antispeciesist week in Hambacher Forst is not the easiest task.

The decision isn’t based just on the difficulty of organisation, but also with the intention to show that our priorities should be reshaped towards combating an overwhelmingly controlling state and towards showing mutual aid during this uncertain times.

For that reason, Liberate Or Die: From cage to Freedom has to be postponed. We aren’t giving up, we will organise the event next year, better and stronger than ever.

For now, remember that there is a lot of work to do on the streets. That you can combat the police state that this lockdown is cementing in many different ways. That you can help folks in need in your communities and that it is the perfect time to create an environment where neighbourhoods stops depending on the government and start empowering themselves. There is a lot of work to do and we count on all of you to make this worthwhile.

Never give up the fight. The animals and this planet depend on your willingness to become an accomplice against the oppression.

UNTIL WE WIN

UA.

It is on everybody’s minds. COVID-19 is shutting down borders, wrecking havoc within vulnerable people and leaving the whole world in a state of government surveillance, lockdown and fear. And it is serious; those who struggle with other medical conditions are at serious risk. The working class, without a job and or help, are going to struggle. The governments will use the new crisis to enforce more freedom-limiting laws.

 

So what should we do with an event scheduled for the end of May? An event that is envisioned to gather people from around the world, to mingle with one another, to learn and teach and create connections to unify the animal liberation movement and to make history change? We don’t know.

 

The reality is that it is highly unlikely the situation will change by the end of May. Europe’s numbers of infected and in critical care are only now starting to increase, they have not peaked and they will take a while to do so. But we do not want to give up yet the little hope we have for normality in a couple of months time.

 

So for now, we do not want to cancel the event because we believe, if things improve and if carrying on would not put anyone at risk, that people will benefit from normality. That it would be refreshing for folks to enjoy something like LoD. And that the animal and human exploiting machinery doesn’t stand still, not even in these times.

 

But we are also being realistic and we are aware that governments reopening borders does not mean that we should travel. So for now, we have not called off the event, but we might do so in the upcoming weeks if we don’t see any other solution.

 

We would like to hear from you, what do you believe is best?



For now, we believe it is important for people to focus their energy on showing mutual aid in their communities. If you are healthy, fit and young, please provide aid for those who are vulnerable. Organise working groups in your street or your neighbourhood so those who are more vulnerable don’t need to go out for shopping or medicines or to walk the doggo. Please, show up for one another, create those community links and see them growing into strong relationships that we can all use to topple this fucking capitalist system.

 

We will bring you more news once decisions have been made. 



See you in the next riot.

 

LoD team.

VIA: 325.nostate.net

Last year we saw an increase on actions targeting the game bird farm industry by releasing thousands of birds into the wild from their breeding facilities, thus stopping the farmers from selling those birds to shoots. The aim was simple, climbing up the chain and stopping the industry where it starts, so that people don’t have to target the shooters on their day out. No birds to shoots no hunters to pester!

A map was produced outlining many of the UK based game farms, which most likely aided folks finding their local ones and targeting them immediately. That map has now been updated to include farms from many different parts of Europe, increasing the amount of people who have access to local farms and giving the resources to find them. 

You can see the game farm map here:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1uzyEb2Z8EW7LLByNhU1L5t2Fpv6SjmKf&ll=45.38124331460442%2C9.630782699212887&z=5

Last week, another important document surfaced on 325. A PDF explaining step by step how to sabotage those farms and how to ensure that the industry loses enough money to stop once and for all. It also explains the urgency of taking action against game farms. It is a good read that we believe people should have at hand, just to be aware of how people operate. You can read it here:

THE TIME IS NOW PDF!

We would like to finish this post by pointing at two sentences within the PDF:

“YOU CAN STOP THIS INDUSTRY BY WALKING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.”

When if not now?
Who, if not YOU.

We needed a little break so we decided to step back from work. It didn’t actually happen when a global pandemic kind of kicked in and we had to start working in local mutual aid. After a little longer than expected, we are ready to get back online and bring you all the news we’ve been bringing you until now, plus some of the series that we’ve been publishing before, plus some news ones! 

There is a lot to discuss and a lot to share and we will be working constantly to catch up with the amount of stuff we want to share with you, but bare with us, we are all volunteers! 

We believe this restart is actually a good moment to explain what Unoffensive Animal is and what we do, in case new people are not aware. 

UA is a collective of likeminded individuals coming from an anarchist, animal liberation perspective that comprehends animal liberation as part of a wider fight to achieve total liberation. That means that our work is directed towards toppling the base of the institutional oppression, which hurts all, the earth and all the inhabitants within it, and that we understand the concept of privilege and the multiple faces that oppression might have, from sexism and transphobia to animal exploitation and the continuous bleeding of the planet Earth. We want to see capitalism toppled, we want to see the institutional chains of oppression overturned and we want to see a society where we can work through mutual aid for the betterment of everybody. A serious task! 

We work as a media channel for those who take action and want to remain anonymous. We receive reports anonymously and give a platform for others to read about what has happened. We DO NOT take part in illegal actions, we DO NOT go into farms and help animals away and we DO NOT smash windows. We serve as a platform for anonymous individuals to report what they are up to. That means that there is no point messaging us asking “how to join” or “please help this poor dog in my neighbour’s garden”. The response to all them was given a long time by the ALF: “When, if not now? Who, if not you?”. 

We also serve as a platform for education. We produce written series about history, about theory and about security. We give talks and organise workshops. 

Lastly, we serve as a prison support platform. We collect money for arrest support, for fines and other economic attacks by the state and for prisoners who need to get some stuff from commissary or to call their loved ones. 

We do all of this out of love. We do it because we believe in a better future where people learn collectively and fight towards a more sustainable world. And we say this because it is important. We cannot do this alone. It is your job to help. It is your job to read, to learnt to expand, to organise, to take action and to support. 

So, we are back, we have many plans on the works and we are asking YOU reading this to start organising too. 

If anyone believes in what we do and how we work, we really could do with help. With the global pandemic hitting hard, some folks have (understandably) cancelled their Patreon donations and some others have reduced what they donate per month. 

If you are able to join the mutual aid team behind Unoffensive Animal, please do so. 

www.patreon.com/animalliberation

Back tomorrow with news and a whole lot of trouble. 

Unoffensive. 

PHOTO: 100 chinchillas liberated from a fur farm in Brazil, 2014.

When we see people wearing their “Support the ALF” hoodies, we really hope they mean it. This is one of those cases.

Someone in Germany was just sentenced to a fine of 2250 EUR in relation to 13 accounts of criminal damage against shooting towers. 

Last year, a wildlife camera took a photo of someone holding a saw next to a tower. When the hunters found 13 hunting towers destroyed in the area, they gave the footage to the police and offered a bounty of 2500 EUR to anyone who would identify the person.

Some scumbag snitch came forward and told the police the identity of the person. A year later and after facing trial, they have been fined 2250 EUR by the German court system.

So this is where you join in this week’s SOLIDARITY SATURDAY. We need to raise those funds and we need to make sure this person feels loved and supported. Please donate 1 euro, or 2, or 50 if you can afford it. Ensure that you share the link with all your friends and local activists. Email big activist groups and platforms like Earth First! Or The Save Movement and ask for their solidarity in sharing this fundraiser. It is everybody’s job, INCLUDING YOURS, to ensure that we all chip in and help this human in need.

At the end of the day, a post about hunting towers destroyed would’ve been praised and hero worshipped hundreds of times. It is now the time to put your solidarity forward and not just your words. 

The link to the fundraiser is here:

https://www.cotizup.com/hunting-towers-destroyed

Start donating, and sharing and ensuring this person feels loved. Leave a nice message with your donation on the fundraising page.

For the Wild! 

These past few weeks have been intense and wonderful all at the same time. We had a conversation with everybody putting together LoD and published the event online, we gave talks in Germany, Austria and Slovakia and we filmed stuff with Michal Kolesar and his team.

You folks are already aware of our workshop project and know how it works; people contact us wanting to organise a talk, we try and fit it in the calendar and with the help of local humans a venue is found and promotion is done and we spend a few hours talking about whatever the fuck people want to talk about. Pretty simple isn’t it? We put a pot out for donations, but the workshops are ALWAYS free. We tend to always lose money on those talks, but we do not care, education should always be free.

What you might not know is how we are operating in relation to the microdocumentaries we are filming. The idea is simple, we find people that are not normally in the spotlight but that are doing awesome work and we work with them to tell their story via video. The aim is to publish one every six weeks, but we will see how it actually develops. At the moment we have two episodes of the series that we are working on, one of Michal Kolesar and his team and another one on Kent Animal Defenders. We do not know when we will be able to start releasing the project, but we are putting a lot of effort into creating something that is educational and inspiring, so others feel empowered to also take action whilst learning from folks who are at it already. 

In the next few days we are going to bring you a few posts on arrest support and prison support as because we’ve been very busy it has been a little more difficult to get them sorted. And that, really, brings us to the main point of this post.

Throughout the past three years, we’ve had three main focus points as a collective; educating the public, bringing direct action news to social media and doing prison and arrest support. We used to have a lot more support when we started, and slow and steady that has gone down. In fact, we send HALF the amount of money to prisoners than we used to  send just a year ago. And there is more and more actions were folks are being arrested and we are struggling to help with fines.

We have tried producing different merch, doing discounted merchandise (on items where people can already choose how much they pay), we plaster Patreon and PayPal in many posts… But the reality is, we must be doing something wrong, because it isn’t working. We do not do this job for the money. None of us in fact gets any money for their personal life out of Unoffensive. We don’t have wages or buy food or clothes or pay rent with the money from the collective.

So we are struggling and we fail to see why. We can imagine that many of the folks who used to support us a couple of years ago have grown towards the mentality of “support sanctuaries not individuals” and we also believe that concept to be true. What we don’t think to be true is that Unoffensive falls under the “waged full time activist” that people are avoiding to fund. In fact, different people from the collective do different things to survive, and none of us have a wage from Unoffensive.

So it would be wonderful if you could tell us what we could change to make things better. Should we be posting more content? Or more diverse stuff? Should we be trying to reach out to bigger platforms that might be able to help us out with promotion? How can we convince *just* a 10% of our followers to drop ONE dollar a month on Patreon? Whatever it is, we are open to criticism and to learning more because we would not want the project to die out.

For anyone interested, our PayPal address is unoffensive_animal(at)tutanota(dot)com and our patreon is:
www.patreon.com/animalliberation

See you in the next riot

UA.