Animal Rebellion at VegFest 2019
Feeling the Rebellion blues? Didn’t get to take part? Want to know more about Animal Rebellion and their role in averting climate breakdown?
Who are Animal Rebellion?
Animal Rebellion is a mass volunteer movement demanding that the government ends climate destructive animal farming and fishing industries. They are leading the transition to a just, sustainable plant-based food system.
You may have heard of the 400 rebels who occupied Smithfield Meat Market or the 300 at Billingsgate Fish Market. Animal Rebellion understands that a plant-based food system is the only system that is capable of minimising the climate risks we have been seeing across the globe, everyday; to halt mass extinction and avert social collapse.
A breakdown of the climate will see millions of people displaced, social disorder, wars, and leave millions more hungry and deprived of food.
Animal Rebellion seek for the government to address the same demands as Extinction Rebellion (XR) but by also addressing truths about the role of animal and fish farming as the leading cause for our climate crisis.
What’s Happening at VegFest?
Animal Think Tank will be hosting Animal Rebellion at VegFest on 26–27th October 2019! After two incredible weeks of peaceful protests and civil disobedience, Animal Rebellion will be at Olympia in London holding panels, debates, discussing future plans (have your say), evaluating future strategies, targets and activities and recapping lessons learnt.
Having knowledge of government inaction against planet-destructive animal and fishing agriculture makes each and every one of us more powerful. It demands for the government to be held accountable and make systematic changes. When we, the public, are aware of what is happening around us, the government cannot be idle. At VegFest, key players in the making and execution of Animal Rebellion will be speaking and sharing ideas.
This is an opportunity to share Animal Rebellion’s successes, ideas and challenges following the two-week protests. In line with Animal Rebellion’s and XR’s principles, Dan, an Animal Rebellion coordinator reasserted, “October’s Rebellion will be a test of what we got right and what we need to learn for the future.” Earlier in the year, Animal Think Tank focused on Movement Building at VegFest Brighton to see how a social movement behind Animal Rebellion could be built. Now, the focus is providing people with the skills, knowledge and confidence to work together in achieving systematic change.
Just some of what you can expect:
- Why it is important to rebel
- What it is like to be a ‘First Time Rebel’ by first-time rebels themselves
- How carbon emissions can be reduced to net zero by 2025 and about our climate emergency
- How to create a regenerative culture to maintain resilient healthy and adaptable societies
- How the power of mass-movement can end speciesism and bring about animal justice
Who will be there?
The two-day programme will see some of the leading people in the creation and organisation of Animal Rebellion as well as rebels who joined the movement during the start, middle and end of the protests.
Roger Hallam (Extinction Rebellion), Esther Solomon (Animal Rebellion) and Dan Kidby (Animal Think Tank) will be discussing why they chose to take to the streets; why they believe mass movements and rebelling are key for social change; the successes and challenges of the October Rebellion; what to expect from Animal Rebellion and Extinction Rebellion in the near future and more.
First Time Animal Rebels will be holding a question and answer session. Three volunteers who each started their journey for the first time at different points during the Rebellion will be sharing their experiences and opening the floor to questions and answers.
Tim Thorpe (The Vegan Society), Laura Tap (Animal Think Tank), and Tree Kelly (University of Manchester) amongst others will consider potential root causes for disagreements between different groups of people who have similar goals, how land can address issues of food security and the climate crisis; how to overcome social, political and economic barriers to achieve these goals; and discussion on the principles and strategies needed to build a strong mass movement.
Tickets are available at £13.20 per day and £22 for the whole weekend.
By Shreena Shah
