A slew of arrests in Northern California as the animal rights organization Direct Action Everywhere held a huge animal liberation convergence about an hour north of San Francisco. There were marches and speeches and protests. Then a smaller team of activists capped it all off with a dramatic open rescue of two baby goats from a factory farm south of San Francisco.

 

Goats they described as sick. The goats whom they named Phoebe and Celia were rushed away to get medical care. Then the activists returned to the farm.

 

You as a lawyer should know you can’t trespass your feet so people’s property right slide stops. Well actually according to the California assessment when it is an emergency. One activist tried unsuccessfully to show sheriff’s officers what he called evidence of an emergency necessitating rescue.

 

Coined the Goated Five, the five activists were killed as heroes by supporters gathered around them as they were led away by authorities. Direct Action Everywhere, DXC for short, wants authorities to investigate what the organization charges is a quote massive dead pile of discarded mother and baby goats and other conditions they charge violate California’s statutes against animal cruelty. Instead, sheriff’s deputies handcuffed the five activists including Carla Cabral who was leading chants at the animal liberation march in Petaluma only three days earlier.

 

Because fashion is no excuse. Entertainment is no excuse. Tradition is no excuse.

 

Heritage is no excuse. There will never be an excuse. It does take all of us and we’re dealing with a lot of different systems of oppression against a lot of different individuals, vulnerable people as well as vulnerable animals.

 

In an unusual twist, the activists who were handcuffed did not end up sitting in jail behind bars. Most were dropped off at the local train station. And we must speak up.

 

We cannot stay silent no matter what this system tries to do to us. I know for me personally, if they had taken us to jail, no matter how long I sat there in my mind, I know it doesn’t matter. They are going to live while they were all released without any charges being filed against them.

 

Authorities did say it was pending further investigation. So it’s unclear what could happen down the road. Maree Holden is the attorney with Direct Action Everywhere who argues these open rescues of animals are legal because they maintain the animals being removed are sick and suffering.

 

You’re an attorney. What is your explanation for why you feel that is legal? I feel that that’s legal for several reasons. First of all, under California law and under the law of many states in our country, activists can take action to rescue someone who is in the risk of having significant bodily harm committed to them or death committed to them or being subject to, quote, a significant evil.

 

During the several days of this animal liberation convergence, there was another open rescue of factory farmed animals. Direct Action Everywhere says two chickens were also rescued from a slaughter bound truck in California’s Central Valley. DXC’s communications lead Cassie King explains.

 

During our all night vigil, and I think partly thanks to people being there and bearing witness at this vigil that, you know, trucks kind of had to change their plan and the company really doesn’t want us to see what’s happening or to film it and get it out there through media like you all. But of course, that’s why we’re there to try to film the conditions and show the public how these chickens are living, what’s happening to them, to report this unlawful cruelty. And so because they’re so scared of our cameras and they’re changing their plans and diverting trucks and calling the police and just trying to prevent the public from knowing what they do to animals.

 

That’s actually, I think, part of why a rescue was able to happen, because people saw a truck that was, you know, diverted or somewhere else, it wasn’t right at the slaughterhouse, but somewhere around, and they had seen it driving already and they saw the terrible conditions on this truck like so many times we’ve already seen. They went and opened one of the crates and immediately, you know, it doesn’t take long to find animals who have these bloody wounds on their backs and who are sick and need emergency medical care. And that’s what happened.

 

So they took two chickens. They’re getting them that medical care right now. I really hope they both make it.

 

It’s, you know, it’s totally possible that with the right care that they’ll live for years and fully recover. DXC lead organizer Elmira Tanner says they have a legal right to intervene when authorities refuse to investigate alleged violations of California animal cruelty laws. Courts have been made of criminal animal cruelty to every agency you can possibly think of for years, including Thursday.

 

The day before, we re-reported horrific footage that was taken inside these transport trucks in early May. We’ve also reported it in March, just awful conditions for these animals in these trucks. Nothing was done.

 

Time and time again, we were even at the sheriff’s office Thursday morning, nothing was done. And so activists located a truck, not exactly sure how this all happened. I wasn’t there, located a truck, saw animals in need, opened those crates and took them out.

 

And now they are on their way. Well, they have been on their way and they are now receiving medical attention. Zoe Rosenberg kicked off the big march with an impassioned speech where she described an open rescue that she herself conducted back in 2023 of four slaughter bound chickens.

 

That action resulted in her arrest and ongoing prosecution. They were covered in scratches and bruises, infested with coccidia parasites and suffering from dangerous infections. I got the medical attention.

 

For the first time in their entire lives, they received individualized care, care that was meant for them and not for a company trying to maximize its profits. For weeks, we tended to their wounds. The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office and various industry lobbying groups have tried to frame this act of rescue as extremism, as theft, and even terrorism.

 

Simultaneously, my prosecutors have tried to pretend that this prosecution is standard practice. Just any other theft case. No.

 

If I had stolen four dead chickens from a grocery store, I would be prosecuted much less harshly. If I would even be prosecuted at all, I would not be facing a felony. I would not have been forced to wear an ankle monitor for the past year and a half.

 

I likely wouldn’t even be facing trial later this year. This is a political prosecution to protect a major company from public scrutiny. As the movement for animal liberation grows, these activists say the bottom line is goats and cows and chickens and pigs are not merely property.

 

Like our beloved dogs, they are sentient beings with complex physical and emotional needs and deserve to be treated as such. Any factory, farm, slaughterhouse, or agricultural facility connected to these cases is invited on any time to respond. Reporting from Northern California, Jane Velez-Mitchell for Unshaned TV.