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!

Dozens of demonstrators come out in protest against the annual bull riding event.

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.

animal rights protest
All of these awesome people came out to take a stand against animal torture!

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.

Two dogs in Chile waiting for food, from Hero Dog movie, now streaming on UnchainedTV.
Street Dogs are the Stars of the Movie “Hero Dog” on UnchainedTV

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.

Multiethnic students talking and eating takeaway meal relaxing in summer park
New Study May Help Turn People Vegan

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.

Pig at Porgreg farm in Canada
UPDATE: 11 Activists Who Exposed Canadian Pig Farm Horrors Are Sentenced

11 activists, 10 Canadian women and one US non-binary person, convicted for entering a pig farm in Quebec to expose the animal cruelty there, were just sentenced Updated: Los Angeles, June 23rd, 2023 — Three years after a group of eleven activists entered a pig breeding facility in Quebec, Canada, and live-streamed the horrific conditions, they finally received their sentences.

Anja and Matej Glivar doing vegan activism
Vegan Couple Turn Wedding Day Into Animal Rights Protest & Movie

A vegan couple in Switzerland is making an animal rights documentary that includes protests, open rescues, and arrests, all around their vegan wedding day Los Angeles, May 25, 2023 —  Anja and Matej Glivar got married in Switzerland on April 4, 2022, in what is arguably one of the world’s wildest weddings ever!

racy Murphy cows case protest
Prosecuted for Compassion: Tracy Murphy’s Cow Case!

Tracy Murphy, the founder of Asha’s Farm Sanctuary in New York, is being prosecuted after she gave refuge to two cows who wandered onto her sanctuary’s property Los Angeles, May 1st, 2023 — Tracy Murphy is the founder of Asha’s Farm Sanctuary, a refuge for abused cows, pigs and chickens in upstate New York.

Vegan Earth Day March poster
Vegan Earth Day March Was a Hit in Over 22 Countries

For the first time in history, marches in over 22 countries took place on April 22, 2023, as part of the Vegan Earth Day March global event Los Angeles, April 23rd, 2023 — The Vegan Earth Day March is a new international public event that was simultaneously staged on April 22, 2023, Earth Day, in more than 50 cities over 22 countries.

Woman protesting for animals in lingerie
Women Bare It All For Animals in Lingerie Protests

Hollywood, California  – What exactly are… Lingerie Protests? Well, we’re all familiar with the phrase, “sex sells.” Now, groups of women all over the world are using the marketing power of the female body to force people to face the cruel treatment of animals in our food system.  Started by Australian supermodel Stefania Ferrario and vegan activist Tash Peterson, these lingerie protests feature women (and the occasional man) wearing nothing but sexy underwear to draw the attention of crowds to the plight of animals.  The scantily clad protestors hold signs portraying graphic images of animal suffering along with provocative slogans like “Abusing Animals is Not Sexy.” The captivating campaign kicked off in Australia and has spread to cities across the U.S., Europe and Japan!

Lion Ark Team Rescuing a tiger cub
Lion Ark: Streaming on UnchainedTV

Lion Ark: The Incredible Rescue of 25 Circus Lions Los Angeles – Lion Ark: this award-winning documentary feels more like an action movie, complete with secret missions, undercover operations, intelligence briefings, nerve-wracking confrontations, extremely dramatic rescues, and high-speed races against time.

Direct Action Everywhere declares victory with not guilty verdicts.
DxE Animal Activists NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS in #Smithfield Trial

DxE ANIMAL ACTIVISTS NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS! History was just made as two Direct Action Everywhere animal activists – part of a team that rescued two very sick piglets from a massive Utah factory farm – were found NOT GUILTY on all counts by a Utah jury.

Protest against pig slaughterhouse Farmer John
L.A.’s Pig Slaughterhouse ‘Farmer John’ to Close Down

Farmer John pig slaughterhouse, the largest pig slaughterhouse on the US West Coast, has announced it is shutting down in a few months. The Farmer John slaughterhouse, a 10-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles, is adorned with a long mural of happy pigs frolicking in the grass.