Animal Rebellion is a mass movement that uses nonviolent civil resistance to bring about a transition to a just and sustainable plant-based food system, as an attempt to halt mass extinction, alleviate the worst effects of climate breakdown and ensure justice for animals.

Our demands

1. TELL THE TRUTH

Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.

Government (and media) telling the truth about the climate and ecological emergency (CEE), must include telling truth about plant-based food system. Animal Rebellion recognizes that one cannot speak about the CEE without openly talking about the impacts of animal agriculture on the planet, including but not limited to: deforestation, ocean dead-zones, biodiversity loss and air pollution.

1. ACT NOW

Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce

greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

We are heading towards a climate catastrophe and will be facing social collapse, mass starvation and the death of billions of beings if the government does not act now and act decisively. We focus on what is necessary and that is reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net zero by 2025. We recognise this cannot be done without a transition to a just and sustainable plant-based food system.

1. BEYOND POLITICS

Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

This is an emergency. The issues are huge and complex, and the solutions needed are urgent. Political power in the UK is in the hands of a few elected politicians. Over the last 40 years, this system has proved incapable of making the long-term decisions needed to deal with the climate and ecological emergency. Politicians simply can’t see past the next election. Politicians are lobbied by huge corporate interests to protect certain industries, such as those of the animal farming and fishing industries. We need ordinary citizens to be presented with the facts of animal agriculture to make informed and unbiased choices, with the power to make legislative change.

Our Mission

Animal Rebellion’s mission is to build a broad-based movement, capable of achieving transformative change to mitigate the climate catastrophe and positively impact the lives of trillions of animals, through nonviolent civil resistance. We focus on highlighting the significant impacts of animal farming and fishing on the environment and normalising the crucial solution of a plant-based food system within the wider environmental movement. Our ultimate aim is to secure a just and sustainable transition to a plant-based food system.

Our story

We declared ourselves in open rebellion against the UK government on August 17th 2019, whilst occupying Trafalgar Square with 10,000 people. The energy was electric and this was only the beginning. Over the next few weeks, we reforested Parliament Square as a symbolic act for the burning Amazon rainforest. We spray-painted the Old Bailey, the UK Central Criminal Court, to highlight their gross inaction on the climate emergency. Next, came the Rebellion.

On the 7th of October, 1,500 people took over Smithfields Market, the oldest meat market in the UK, to transform it into a hopeful and joyous vision of a plant-based future. This temporary utopia highlighted the world we want to create, one where animals, farmers and people live together harmoniously whilst respecting planetary boundaries. The reception of Animal Rebellion showed the hunger for a movement that was finally telling the truth about the impact of animal farming and fishing on our planet. We generated national and international news coverage, with Animal Rebellion groups springing up all across the globe. Finally, the elephant in the room was being addressed.

Now, we are working relentlessly to build our movement. So come and join us. Rebel for life. For the planet. For the animals. For our children’s children’s futures. There is so much work to be done.

Our strategy

At the core of Animal Rebellion’s philosophy is nonviolent civil disobedience. We promote civil disobedience and rebellion because we think it is necessary and the times are urgent. We are asking people to find their courage and to collectively do what is necessary to bring about change.

We are about political change and system, not personal change. We welcome personal change however it is not a requirement for joining Animal Rebellion. We value all the organisations working on individual lifestyle changes however we see our unique role to demand broader system change from the UK government.

We aren’t focused on traditional systems of campaigning such as petitions or writing to our MPs. Again, we honor this work that is currently being done and we are not trying to replace or erase that. We cannot do it all so we focus on our unique role within this ecosystem of social movements, which is mass nonviolent civil disobedience.

We focus on actions with higher potential consequences (e.g. arrest or jail time). We don’t want or need everyone to get arrested, as for some this is not a good idea, but we do want everyone involved to support civil disobedience as a tool.

We are promoting mass “above the ground” civil disobedience – in full public view. This means economic disruption to shake the current political system and civil disruption to raise awareness. We are deeply sorry for any inconvenience that this causes.

Our structure

We organise in decentralised & autonomous teams, where individuals have the authority to react quickly to ever-changing situations whilst also harnessing the collective intelligence of the group. Anyone who abides by our Principles & Values (see below) can take action in the name of Animal Rebellion.

We are working to build a movement that is less-hierarchical, inclusive and free of coercive power dynamics. We want to empower individuals to harness their creativity and initiative, whilst also balancing the need for group consent.

This is done using a Self-Organising System (see this summary by XR), which is outlined in our Constitution. The constitution exists so that power is removed from people and placed into processes. This ensures that everyone abides by the same rules and no individual has power over another. You can also explore our Interactive Map of all UK-level teams (GlassFrog).

Our Culture

We aim to build a culture that is inclusive, regenerative and always evolving. Embodying a true regenerative culture is a necessary commitment in order to create meaningful and lasting change in this world. We acknowledge that we may bring into our movement elements of the toxic system that we are trying to address. Societal systems of oppression, such as sexism, classism and racism, may manifest themselves within our movement.

We are constantly learning and striving to build a culture that eradicates manifestations of these systems and is inclusive to people of all walks of life. We want people to feel welcome, comfortable and included within our spaces. We want everyone to be heard, listened to, and empowered, regardless of their race, class, gender or other identity.

We seek to build a culture based on principles from nature and ecology. Its purpose is to nurture a new culture that is resilient and robust and which can support us all through the changes we must inevitably face together. We see that natural cycles of action, followed by rest and reflection are key to sustaining our movement. There is no singular definition, but a framework based on natural principles allows each of us to develop our own approach to practicing a regenerative way of being. At its simplest this means putting a little bit more in than we take out.

Our Principles & Values

All are welcome who want to adhere to our principles and values:

1. we have a shared vision of change

Creating a world that protects beings of all species, for generations to come

2. we set our mission on what is necessary

Mobilising 3.5% of the population to achieve system change – using ideas such as “Momentum-driven organising” to achieve this.

3. we need a regenerative culture

Creating a culture which is healthy, resilient and adaptable.

4. we openly challenge ourselves and our toxic system

Leaving our comfort zones to take action for change.

5. we value reflecting and learning

Following a cycle of action, reflection, learning, and planning for more action. Learning from other movements and contexts as well as our own experiences.

6. we welcome everyone and every part of everyone

Working actively to create safer and more accessible spaces.

7. we actively mitigate for power

Breaking down hierarchies of power for more equitable participation.

8. we avoid blaming and shaming

We live in a toxic system, but no one individual is to blame.

9. we are a non-violent network

Using non-violent strategy and tactics as the most effective way to bring about change.

10. we are based on autonomy and decentralisation

We collectively create the structures we need to challenge power. Anyone who follows these core principles and values can take action in the name of Animal Rebellion.