Defend Direct Action
2nd July, Binéfar Spain.
received anonymously via encrypted email:
“After seeing that even with a group of activists camping outside the macro-slaughterhouse peacefully protesting against it didn’t change much, we had to take part and do some art in the walls.
Take direct action for liberation”
received anonymously via email:
Early July, France.
“a 5 ALF activist team destroyed 15 hunting towers in France, region “Centre”,
We will fight until specism is died, until every cage is empty.”
We’ve kept quiet for a little while. It is mostly related to a lot of work behind the scenes and reorganising stuff, and it didn’t help that our website broke and the tech humans had to give it some love. It also is about burn out. After organising and giving talks for a few months whilst keeping up the internet presence, the lack of energy was starting to show.
Luckily, the team is growing and expanding and we are finding ways of splitting work and make things easier for everybody, but the first signs of burnout were showing for many of us. For that reason it was clear we needed to take a break, reanalyze, work on many things that needed fixing and get back to work stronger.
It did make us think that many of us in the activist community don’t really know how to take a break. It can become quite asphyxiating, thinking about all the wrongs we see in the world and not knowing how to fix them. Maybe even infuriating that regardless of what actions we take, the world never seems to change quick enough. It is hard to take a break through a storm.
“Aftershock: Confronting trauma in a violent world” has been a good book for us to reanalyze how we relate to trauma related activism as well as a great tool to aid others struggling with traumatic experiences. Regardless of how good that book might be, it doesn’t actually prepare you for the hard reality of taking a break.
We’ve asked a few folks within the collective to tell us what they feel is good self care to avoid (or to tenderly heal) burn out. Suggestions were varied because there is no one single recipe to help us all. Some folks mentioned long walks in the woods, watching easy TV shows, having sex, watching the wild be wild, cuddling animals or eating nice food. Joining other struggles where we don’t feel an urge to organise as we are less used to the community was also mentioned. Mindless vandalism, fucking with advertisements on the streets and shoplifting your heart out were also mentioned.
The only thing that was clear is that avoiding emotions was not a good way to deal with them.
We are animals. Part of our animal is to feel, and whilst we deprive the animal from one of our primal needs we are not just stopping ourselves from growing but also applying a very speciesist philosophy to our life.
So regardless of what your coping mechanisms are, regardless of your needs, allow for those emotions to come out and to evolve, making you a stronger, more effective and much more driven to the revolution.
And if you are struggling, remember that we are a community, that you are not alone and that change needs time. Reach out to others, take a break and let your comrades take the lead for a while. You’ll get through to the other side.
LOVE IS REVOLUTION.
Pic: Queens against RWE, because struggles are interconnected, because climate change is scary, and of course, because queers ALWAYS bash back!
3rd July, South East UK.
received anonymously via encrypted email:
“A couple of years ago we visited this farm and took 25 birds with us the night before their slaughter. We happened to be driving by that same farm so we decided to pay it a second visit.
The farmer, who owns multiple broiler sheds in the area, is also very friendly with the local hunt and allows them to cross through his fields searching for foxes to murder. He will have to rethink his actions if he doesn’t want to attract masked people into his sheds.
Last time we were there we could just pop the door open with a crowbar without much trouble. Since then, he has installed two bolts on each door as reinforcement, so we had to break the door frame and part of the wall to gain access. It felt nice to attack that wall under the sun, in broad day light, wishing for the farmer to hear us so we could have a good conversation. He didn’t, so after gaining access we helped a few birds out with us and walked away.
To every person out there that cares about animals. Get out, break stuff, make it unviable for them to make any money out of this sickening industry. We cannot wait any longer.
Animal Liberation Front.”
We’ve kept quiet for a little while. It is mostly related to a lot of work behind the scenes and reorganising stuff, and it didn’t help that our website broke and the tech humans had to give it some love. It also is about burn out. After organising and giving talks for a few months whilst keeping up the internet presence, the lack of energy was starting to show.
Luckily, the team is growing and expanding and we are finding ways of splitting work and make things easier for everybody, but the first signs of burnout were showing for many of us. For that reason it was clear we needed to take a break, reanalyze, work on many things that needed fixing and get back to work stronger.
It did make us think that many of us in the activist community don’t really know how to take a break. It can become quite asphyxiating, thinking about all the wrongs we see in the world and not knowing how to fix them. Maybe even infuriating that regardless of what actions we take, the world never seems to change quick enough. It is hard to take a break through a storm.
“Aftershock: Confronting trauma in a violent world” has been a good book for us to reanalyze how we relate to trauma related activism as well as a great tool to aid others struggling with traumatic experiences. Regardless of how good that book might be, it doesn’t actually prepare you for the hard reality of taking a break.
We’ve asked a few folks within the collective to tell us what they feel is good self care to avoid (or to tenderly heal) burn out. Suggestions were varied because there is no one single recipe to help us all. Some folks mentioned long walks in the woods, watching easy TV shows, having sex, watching the wild be wild, cuddling animals or eating nice food. Joining other struggles where we don’t feel an urge to organise as we are less used to the community was also mentioned. Mindless vandalism, fucking with advertisements on the streets and shoplifting your heart out were also mentioned.
The only thing that was clear is that avoiding emotions was not a good way to deal with them.
We are animals. Part of our animal is to feel, and whilst we deprive the animal from one of our primal needs we are not just stopping ourselves from growing but also applying a very speciesist philosophy to our life.
So regardless of what your coping mechanisms are, regardless of your needs, allow for those emotions to come out and to evolve, making you a stronger, more effective and much more driven to the revolution.
And if you are struggling, remember that we are a community, that you are not alone and that change needs time. Reach out to others, take a break and let your comrades take the lead for a while. You’ll get through to the other side.
LOVE IS REVOLUTION.
Pic: Queens against RWE, because struggles are interconnected, because climate change is scary, and of course, because queers ALWAYS bash back!
3rd July, South East UK.
received anonymously via encrypted email:
“A couple of years ago we visited this farm and took 25 birds with us the night before their slaughter. We happened to be driving by that same farm so we decided to pay it a second visit.
The farmer, who owns multiple broiler sheds in the area, is also very friendly with the local hunt and allows them to cross through his fields searching for foxes to murder. He will have to rethink his actions if he doesn’t want to attract masked people into his sheds.
Last time we were there we could just pop the door open with a crowbar without much trouble. Since then, he has installed two bolts on each door as reinforcement, so we had to break the door frame and part of the wall to gain access. It felt nice to attack that wall under the sun, in broad day light, wishing for the farmer to hear us so we could have a good conversation. He didn’t, so after gaining access we helped a few birds out with us and walked away.
To every person out there that cares about animals. Get out, break stuff, make it unviable for them to make any money out of this sickening industry. We cannot wait any longer.
Animal Liberation Front.”
23rd June, Valencia Spain.
received anonymously via encrypted email:
“One of our camarades enters through a window, gets one pig under each arm and sneaks out rolling backwards on their back, then by using his balance, he manages to sit on one fence, stand up and walk through the borders of the other fences in order to pass the piglets to the other two camarades. We couldn’t get it on video, but it was badass as fuck.
After 9 minutes of walking through the night, we reach the car with the other folk waiting ready and we are gone.
Save the date, “San Juan”, 23st of June is a christian festivity that drags all the attention from the police, especially in Spain. So do not doubt in fighting for their freedom in this date while the police is “protecting” the people getting fucked up.”
23rd June, Valencia Spain.
received anonymously via encrypted email:
“One of our camarades enters through a window, gets one pig under each arm and sneaks out rolling backwards on their back, then by using his balance, he manages to sit on one fence, stand up and walk through the borders of the other fences in order to pass the piglets to the other two camarades. We couldn’t get it on video, but it was badass as fuck.
After 9 minutes of walking through the night, we reach the car with the other folk waiting ready and we are gone.
Save the date, “San Juan”, 23st of June is a christian festivity that drags all the attention from the police, especially in Spain. So do not doubt in fighting for their freedom in this date while the police is “protecting” the people getting fucked up.”
DATE: 26th March.
FIND THE EVENT HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/events/309401766362630/
Due to high interest we have decided to run an afternoon of talks on the Animal Liberation Front and its history alongside a little toolkit for Security Culture between activists. Read the talks blurb below:
– WHO ARE THE ALF?:
“Arguably the most widespread direct action group in the world, the ALF has saved an uncountable number of animal lives. How do they organize? What tactics do they use and how do they correlate to overground AR? Why all the security culture around it?”
– SECURITY CULTURE FOR THE CONSCIOUS ACTIVIST:
“With the growth in vegan activism in the recent years, a considerably higher number of underground actions has been noticed, not only within the underground scene, but also by ‘law enforcement’. We will attempt to discuss tactics, good praxis and advice for anyone (yes, even overground activists!) to avoid being targeted by the filth, to not make things easily accessible to information gatherers and to not fall for state paranoia.”
This is a free event because fuck capitalism. This event is a safe space, we encourage people to be mindful of others and their needs, to extend mutual aid in whatever way is needed and to use gender neutral pronouns unless specified differently.
Farmers encouraged to leave the flat cap at home before coming along. Cops totally discouraged from coming. Fascists not welcome. Furry, wing and or aquatic animals at the discretion of Black Cat Cafe.
Anyone wanting to help with travel costs can do so donating a few coins to our paypal on unoffensive_animal@tutanota.com
Or if you’re able, why not join our monthly donation scheme on Liberapay?
https://liberapay.com/UnoffensiveAnimal
DATE: 26th March.
FIND THE EVENT HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/events/309401766362630/
Due to high interest we have decided to run an afternoon of talks on the Animal Liberation Front and its history alongside a little toolkit for Security Culture between activists. Read the talks blurb below:
– WHO ARE THE ALF?:
“Arguably the most widespread direct action group in the world, the ALF has saved an uncountable number of animal lives. How do they organize? What tactics do they use and how do they correlate to overground AR? Why all the security culture around it?”
– SECURITY CULTURE FOR THE CONSCIOUS ACTIVIST:
“With the growth in vegan activism in the recent years, a considerably higher number of underground actions has been noticed, not only within the underground scene, but also by ‘law enforcement’. We will attempt to discuss tactics, good praxis and advice for anyone (yes, even overground activists!) to avoid being targeted by the filth, to not make things easily accessible to information gatherers and to not fall for state paranoia.”
This is a free event because fuck capitalism. This event is a safe space, we encourage people to be mindful of others and their needs, to extend mutual aid in whatever way is needed and to use gender neutral pronouns unless specified differently.
Farmers encouraged to leave the flat cap at home before coming along. Cops totally discouraged from coming. Fascists not welcome. Furry, wing and or aquatic animals at the discretion of Black Cat Cafe.
Anyone wanting to help with travel costs can do so donating a few coins to our paypal on unoffensive_animal@tutanota.com
Or if you’re able, why not join our monthly donation scheme on Liberapay?
https://liberapay.com/UnoffensiveAnimal