
Animal Rights Activism & Protests
Despite animal rights being largely overlooked by advertiser-based mainstream media, the animal rights movement is growing exponentially around the world, particularly in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.
Along with the many established animal rights organizations working to end animal exploitation in factory farming, laboratories, fur farms, and entertainment (PETA, HSUS, Mercy for Animals, The Humane League, Animal Outlook, Animal Equality, Last Chance for Animals, and In Defense of Animals, to name a few), innovative grassroots AR movements are also gaining strength. One of them is The Save Movement. Founded by Toronto-based Ph.D. Anita Krajnc, The Save Movement holds vigils outside slaughterhouses to give water and love to cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, and lambs headed to their deaths. Their mission is to have a vigil outside every slaughterhouse in the world. So far, there are more than 700 vigils and the campaign is growing rapidly. The largest such vigil is at a pig slaughterhouse near downtown Los Angeles, where many celebrities, include actor Joaquin Phoenix, have appeared to comfort the doomed animals. Those events are run by Los Angeles Animal Save and Animal Alliance Network!
Another rapidly expanding grassroots movement is Anonymous for the Voiceless, which holds Cubes of Truth in public squares and other high-traffic areas around the world. A Cube of Truth involves a minimum of several people, each wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, standing silently in a square formation while holding laptops or video monitors showing animal abuse occurring in factory farms, slaughterhouses, and laboratories. Some of the cubes have included hundreds of people. The visually dramatic events draw people into discussions about how badly animals are treated in our world. Many people, seeing the videos with their own eyes, go vegan on the spot.
Another grassroots campaign that has attracted a lot of attention is National Animal Rights Day. Held simultaneously in cities around the world on the first Sunday in June, this ceremony involves a memorial service for the many billions of animals killed by humans every year. The actual bodies of animals who’ve died in factory farms, labs, or slaughterhouses are often held by participants. After speeches and commemoration, the Declaration of Animal Rights is read and signed. Then, there are marches and celebrations to honor the joy of a violence-free lifestyle in food, clothing, and other consumer goods.

After PETA & Switch4Good Demand Change, Starbucks Drops Surcharge for Vegan Milks! Hollywood, California – October 30th, 2024 – In what can only be described as a game-changing victory for the vegan/animal rights movement, Starbucks has agreed to drop the surcharge it has charged for vegan milks in U.S.

The Farm Bill Battle in Congress: Activists face arrest as they expose the environmental, animal welfare and economic costs of subsidizing animal agriculture. Los Angeles, August 22, 2024 — As the United States Congress debates the renewal of the Farm Bill, a significant battle is unfolding over the future of food and agriculture in America.

The new Animal Rising Channel on UnchainedTV shows videos of the daring UK animal rights organization known for their press-grabbing, direct-action campaigns Los Angeles, April 11th, 2024 — In the last few years, activists with the famous UK animal rights group Animal Rising have repeatedly used dramatic protests to make front page headlines in British media.

Miami Seaquarium Closing! After decades of protests and relentless campaigning by animal rights activists, Miami-Dade County officials have finally ordered the infamous Miami Seaquarium to shut down. This landmark decision comes after years of criticism over the treatment of marine animals, including the orca Lolita, who died in captivity last year.

In a surprise move, law enforcement in Sonoma County suddenly appeared during a DxE protest march. The three animal rights activists arrested were demanding authorities investigate evidence of animal cruelty. Los Angeles, California, December 4th, 2023 – In what looks to be an escalation of hostilities against the animal rights movement, Sonoma County law enforcement interrupted a march by Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), a fast-growing animal liberation organization, to grab and cuff 3 animal rights activists and haul them off to jail.

With the award-winning new film Ending Real Fur now streaming for free on UnchainedTV, LA’s animal lovers gathered under a huge billboard promoting the new movie. The sidewalk media event took place in the heart of Los Angeles. Hollywood, California, November 28th, 2023 – Along with celebrating the powerful film, featuring Tim Gunn of Making the Cut and Project Runway fame, the participants offered dramatic proof that fabulous and fun fashion can be achieved without causing any animal to suffer for fur, leather, down, wool or any other animal-derived material.

Three activists disrupted the Coach runway show during New York Fashion Week 2023 protesting the use of leather in the fashion industry Los Angeles, September 26th, 2023 — In a show of compassionate bravado that made global headlines, three animal rights activists disrupted the Coach runway show at New York Fashion Week 2023, held at the iconic New York Public Library Main Branch in Manhattan.

Street Dogs take center stage in this gripping, real-life story of a dog who did something so exceptional, they made a movie about it. Arcadia, California, September 11th, 2023 – In the brilliant and moving film Hero Dog, documentary filmmaker Vanessa Schulz is so taken by the courageous actions of one street dog in Chile that she flies to that nation to track the dog down.

New research from Faunalytics could help turn people vegan by looking at how different U.S. groups feel about taking action to help animals Los Angeles, June 23, 2023 — The nonprofit research organization Faunalytics has surveyed thousands of Americans about how likely they would be to try several pro-animal actions, such as giving up meat, becoming vegan, or buying cruelty-free products.