Lisa Kemmerer in London 06.09. 7PM

We are happy to announce that Dr. Lisa Kemmerer will spend an evening with us in London, speaking on ‘Ecofeminism: Bitches and Bollox’.

Dr. Kemmerer, professor of philosophy and religions at Montana State University Billings, is the author/editor of nine books and a hands-on activist for the animals, the environment and social justice.

Dr. Kemmerer will address ‘Ecofeminist theory [that] connects animal advocacy with other social justice movements, highlighting the importance of a more expansive vision of liberation. In this view, anymal activism requires solidarity with other social justice causes such as [those against] racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, heterosexism, and classism’

We are inviting people of all genders to join us for this very special evening at the London Action Resource Centre (LARC).

Free Entry!

The pre-party will begin at 6PM where our allies from the LARC will kindly provide vegan snacks (Thank You!) and you will have the opportunity to meet and chat with our organisers. Books, zines and art work will also be for sale.

Dr. Kemmerer’s talk will begin at 7pm. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.

Please share this event widely!

Here are the details:

 

Address: 62 Fuelgate St., London, E1 1ES

Free Entry + All welcome

Doors open: 6pm

Talk begins: 7pm

Accessibility: The room is wheelchair accessible and there are also gender neutral toilets.

This event will operate under out Safer Space Agreement but please be aware that it is open to the general public. If there is anything specific we can do to ensure your safety beforehand, please let us know!

Music Monday with Perkie

~ aga

It’s Music Monday again, which means we are featuring vegan non-binary and female musicians on our blog! Today we have Perkie.

We particularly love Perkie’s song ‘Things that make us different’ from the Hunt Saboteurs Split.

https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3421242544/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/

Head over to Perkie’s bandcamp page where you can download the split. All money will be donated to the Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Sabs. And, if you’re on facebook, give Perkie a like!

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If you know of vegan non-binary person or womxn who makes music, please let us know, we would love to feature them on here! There music does not necessarily have to be animal themed.

A Case for Police Abolition

written by aga

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CW: discussion of racist police brutality and murder

Police as part of kyriarchal oppression

The justice system in democratic capitalist countries – and with it the police and the prison industrial complex – are inherently white supremacist institutions enabling kyriarchy. Abolishing the police would mean chipping away a very potent piece of this imperialist and racist system that makes deviant bodies (non-white but also non-male, non-heterosexual, non-property-owning, non-human etc.) imperceptible and non-existent.

Kyriarchy makes sure to symbolically erase black production of meaning – in media and everyday conversations, in school curriculums, through marketing and consumer products, etc. The extent of this becomes obvious every time racist murders occur, globally or locally: The only way white allies seem to know how to express their outrage in these cases is by sharing footage of the acts, including the brutalised and dead bodies of black people. In doing so however, we only help kyriarchy perpetuate the image of the removed or dead black body. Further, by sharing these images, as white people, we traumatise communities of colour and so inflict additional pain (head over to Aphro-ism to delve deeper into this subject).

The police and prison system, as part of the white supremacist structure that is kyriarchy, is then responsible for upholding the prohibition of black expression and production of knowledge and meaning in this world through practically and literally removing and murdering black bodies merely for their existence in a white-dominated world, such as most recently Alton Sterling and the countless others who were killed by US police (click here for a video visualisation of names of the victims and the things they were doing when shot, indicating that white production of meaning constructs the black body as inherently suspicious and dangerous as well as worthless).

Abolish the police because Black Lives Matter

Amongst most white activists the fear of and hatred towards police begins with showing up to a demo or an action and ends by leaving it and returning to the safety of our homes. Yes, the cops terrorise some of us in our homes and they try to ruin our lives by criminalising us, but generally speaking they don’t brutalise us nor do they kill us and get away with it.

And yes, most of the police in the UK do not carry fire arms which statistically lowers the rate of murder victims killed by UK cops but this does not mean that the police here don’t discriminate against and brutalise black people (the MacPherson enquiry comes to mind, deeming the Metropolitan Police as ‘institutionally racist’).

So the fact remains that the police is an inherently racist institution established to protect the white rich status quo. To practice anti-racism then, as a logical consequence, we have to start rejecting and abolishing the police.

So instead of derailing the conversation from ‘Black Lives Matter’ to ‘All Lives Matter’ or comparing your white activist arrest to what is happening to the Baton Rouge protestors for example, white activists, including me, should shut up and listen. Inform yourself, get involved and remember that it is your job to dismantle white supremacy.

Police abolition – but how?

If you are new to the topic of prison/police abolition, a good start would be to read ‘Are Prisons Obsolete’ by Angela Davis, where she sketches a history of the prison industrial complex that shows exactly how prisons have been established as a means to remove black bodies from the city and uphold the white status quo. Davis takes her knowledge about the history and applies it to today’s white supremacist politics. By doing so she automatically invites the reader to question and reject the perceived connection between prisons and  protection, safety and justice.

As a next step head over to Imagine Alternatives where you can access one of the most thought provoking essays including a set of exercises that will help you navigate life with as little reliance on police as possible.

Googling ‘police abolition’, ‘restorative justice’, ‘community accountability’ will give you an additional flood of ideas on how to stop relying on police and how to start actively dismantling this dangerous, racist and classist arm of kyriarchy.

 

7 Ways to Combat the Hostile Post-Brexit Atmosphere in Your Community

~ by aga

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Only two days after Brexit I was greeted by a flood of outraged friends in my facebook feed, sharing horrible examples of xenophobia, racism and islamophobia happening in their communities. Of course these events aren’t new but it really seems like Brexit gave racists the validation they needed to become more active in their hateful ways.

Outrage is good but solidarity is better

The overwhelming amount of personal stories being shared on social networks in which people describe the hateful things happening to them and their friends since the British people decided to leave Europe is only contributing to my worries and fears. What will happen when I return to the UK after the summer, should I even bother coming back or would I be better off leaving my friends and my life behind and starting over elsewhere?

Of course  I am happy that the people on my facebook feed despise the hate and bigotry popping up across the country, yet their posts make me feel shit inside because they give a platform to – and thereby amplify – what a minority of British people have to say. Despite the Brexit result, I still believe that most people in Britain are not all horrible racists. I know that all my friends miss me and would love for me to come back. Yet seeing all these examples of hate makes me as an immigrant, feel unwelcome and sad.

So I started wondering what people, not just in the UK, can do to make refugees, immigrants, muslims and people of colour feel welcome and safe(r).

Here are five suggestions that anybody can go for right now.

1. Spread messages of solidarity

Write a message to a person who could be affected by anti-immigrant hate speech, ask them how they feel and let them know that despite what they are hearing in the media and on the streets, they are indeed welcome, valued and important.

Get some chalk and leave messages on the side walk and the street:

‘Refugees Welcome’, ‘I love my Eastern European friends’, ‘People of Colour are loved’, ‘Racists fuck off’, ‘My muslim friends rock’ etc.

Or write your messages on paper and stick them to trees, bus stops, lamp posts, leave them on public transport, around your school or university, etc. Here is an example of some signs our very own Casey made:

 

You can also head over to the Active Distribution Shop and get some solidarity stickers to leave anywhere and everywhere you go.

2. Show your solidarity with tokens

Get some cookies, sweets, sandwiches or any other vegan snacks and put them on a stool or little table on the side walk near your house. Next to it, on a piece of cardboard, let people know who this is for and why:

‘For my Polish (or Rumanian, muslim, Asian, etc.) neighbours. We say no to Brexit (or racism, xenophobia, etc). Solidarity and Love to all of you. Enjoy’.

You can do this with anything, a thermos with tea/coffee and a few mugs, a bunch of books you won’t read ever again, board games, plush toys, or roses, such as a vendor in Bristol did (image shared by Best of Bristol):

A bucket of roses with a note that reads: If you are an immigrant to the UK please take a rose! And remember 62% of Bristolians voted to stay in the EU!

3. Organise a demo

This act of solidarity with the victims of a hate crime against a Polish community center in London is an amazing example of people coming together in protest agains xenophobic attacks bringing gifts and messages of solidarity. It probably didn’t need much organising and came about rather spontaneously as a direct response to hateful graffiti sprayed onto the community center’s walls.

Organising a protest or demo for the first time might sound like a huge endeavour and might be quite intimidating. It also is a very empowering experience that actually doesn’t need much prep work and can often work very well if it’s even just a spontaneous stunt. In England you don’t even need to register a static demonstration with the council or the police. If you are planning a moving march or parade you will have to get a permit first.

There is nothing stopping you from grabbing a few friends and/or creating a facebook event page for a static demo in a well visited public place. You can meet beforehand and paint some banners (recycle old cardboard, sheets or the back of advertising banners from shops) with messages of solidarity on them. You can stand there with your banners and chant (with or without a megaphone). Some of you could give out tokens of solidarity, such as flowers or fruit from vendors who would throw these items away at the end of the day. You can ‘leaflet’ by giving little notes of solidarity to member of the public. One of you could bring a guitar/a drum/ a tambourine for some noise. You can sing songs and celebrate your international friends. Anything goes and it will bring a smile to people passing by.

4. Use social media to spread the love

Use your social media accounts to share pictures of acts of kindness like the above. Write a status update reminding your friends that they are welcome in Britain and that they are important to you. Take a profile picture with yourself holding a sign with a solidarity message on it. These little things might seem like a cheap excuse for activism but they actually go a long way. I had my facebook account deactivated for a couple of months until the day of Brexit. I received so many emails from my concerned friends in the UK that day and yet I felt a bit alone, sitting in my room in far away in Sweden, staring at my inbox. I felt the need to log into facebook to be closer to my friends and to experience this shock together. This was vital for my well being as it reminded me that not everyone in the UK felt hateful towards immigrants. So, if reflecting your solidarity online is something you can do, go for it!

5. Volunteer for refugees

If you live near Calais, consider travelling there for a day or two over the weekend. Friendly faces and a lot of help are always needed down there. You can find many local action groups on facebook by searching facebook for these (or similar) key words: ‘calais refugee cambridge’ for example. There is also a map on google showing where refugee aid is needed the most (but it’s only updated during winter).

No matter how you decide to help, always listen to the refugees and be there to empower them not to patronise or decide for them. Show your support and don’t act without consent.

6. Wear a safety pin

You’ve probably seen this campaign on social media: To show your solidarity and to make yourself approachable by people who are suffering from the horrendous hate crimes you can simply wear a safety pin on your top. You can get a pack of 50 very cheap in Boots or Superdrug or any stationary shop. This way you will have enough pins to give out to your friends or to pin to every item of clothing you have.

Additionally, pin a little rainbow flag to your DIY brooch (you can even just draw one on a piece of paper and pin it to your clothes). This way MOGAI/ LGBTQAI+ refugees, muslims, European immgrants and people of colour who suffer from multiple hateful attacks will know they can turn to you.

7. Don’t be a bystander

If you bear witness to a hate crime, be it the smallest act of hate, do something. Make sure you are safe, but don’t be afraid to be the first one to speak out. It is very easy to succumb to the so called bystander effect. So when we find ourselves in a large group of people and someone needs our help, it is very easy for us to not feel responsible for providing help. This is because psychologically we tend to justify to ourselves that in the mass of people, there must at least one person who is faster or more qualified to help than we are. On the other hand, if we then see somebody providing help, it is easier for us to join in and take action ourselves. So chances are high if you’re in a mass of people, everybody will wait for someone else to take action and at the same time if they see you take action they might find it easier to join in.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to speak out against a xenophobic slur for example, a simple: ‘Shut your mouth!’ or ‘You’re not speaking for anybody else here’ could do the job. You don’t necessarily need to turn to the attacker. To disrupt the violence, you could simply engage the victim in a conversation. Take their attention away from the bigot. Smile at them. Ask them to talk to you. Ask them where they are headed, talk about the weather or what they had for lunch yesterday.

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Send us pics and videos of the examples of solidarity you have seen (we have a brand new instagram and twitter account). We want to spread the love to balance the few but dominant messages of hate out.

4 Reasons To Be Devastated about Brexit

~ by aga

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Solidarity with everyone affected by this horrific result

Britain voted to leave the EU in a people’s referendum yesterday.

We, at the Anti-Speciesist Collective, are devastated and spent half the day in disbelief over this result. None of us can imagine the consequences this political decision will have but we know that none of them will be beneficial to the people in or outside the UK, the animals and the planet.

First, let me say, I am not an EU-sympathiser. Under ordinary circumstances I always criticise the neoliberal imperialist politics and classist austerity measures that are results of EU politics. And I will, of course, continue to do so. However, I am devastated at Britain’s decision to leave, as the -by far- lesser evil would have been to stay.

We, as a collective, want to express our solidarity with everyone who will feel immediate (or indirect) repercussions of this dramatic shift in global politics.

In the rage, despair and anxiety I experienced receiving the bad news, it was hard to actually picture some of the consequences that are awaiting us now. In this blog post I tried to articulate 4 of my fears.

1 – The Rise of the far right

This referendum decision is a victory for nationalism and far right leaders (and followers) across Europe and beyond. The leave-campaign rhetoric was fuelled by nationalist, xenophobic and islamophobic propaganda from start to finish. There was no access to critical information engaging with horrific EU policies affecting women and non-binary people, people of colour and the working class in Britain or elsewhere and most information was based on polarising polemic fear mongering. So any supposed comrade who tells you they voted ‘leave’ out of some sort of leftist solidarity and in protest of EU austerity measures in Greece or elsewhere unfortunately sold their vote to Nigel Farage, Marine Le Pen, Vladimir Putin etc. who will all gain even more momentum now. Even Donald Trump is already touring the UK in his quest for fascist unity on this side of the Atlantic. The ultra conservatives are celebrating and Nigel Farage went as far as to claim today as ‘Independence Day’. Centuries of colonial violence perpetrated by Britain and gruesome struggles for actual independence by the colonised are disrespectfully stomped upon, invalidated and forgotten about in one day. I don’t want to imagine where else this will lead.

2 – Geopolitics is a human concept of division that animals suffer from

I do denounce the concepts of borders, nation states and private property as violent for the economic and physical conflicts and devastation they cause. There are ideas about diminishing and even abolishing the sovereignty and power that nation states have so as to establish one unified, global government (this is worked on in theories about Cosmopolitanism, for example). The EU is precisely such an experiment on a continental level.

I like to imagine state and border abolition, along more anarchist lines. The former merely moves the power holder from one institution to another, where potentially differences would be erased and many parts of our lives could be assimilated to whoever will be in power (in a eurocentric capitalist world, implementing such a government would most likely not better the experience of most people in this world). An anarchist imagination on the other hand, removes the idea of a government, a patronising centralised institution that exerts its power over a variety of people and could never possibly accommodate their differences. Instead we think about localised, destratified and bottom-up decision making.

We need to remember that borders are a human construct. They were put into place to determine private property, to separate and protect possessions so as to ensure sustenance and even abundance for one party at the expense of another. In a world dominated by white cis human men, it is clear who is on the losing end of this deal.

Ideas such as private property, economics and geopolitics are alien to animals, yet they are affected by human divisions of the world just as much as we are. The help animals in certain countries get depends on the economic and geopolitical status of that state. Rumanian street dogs for example are at the mercy of Rumanian domestic and foreign politics just as much as Swedish law decides which animals can be shot for sport when and where in the country. With a reduced international influence upon the UK, it is questionable whether the welfare of cows on British farms, foxes and badgers in British forests, and dogs, rats and monkeys in testing laboratories will improve. Britain has a long history of opposition to vivisection and animal activists have celebrated many successes. The EU has also played a big part in influencing vivisection practices across the globe. Now it brings chills down my spine to even think about these poor souls imprisoned in British universities, breeding facilities and animal testing companies.

So Britain’s decision to leave the EU will have horrendous consequences upon animals inside and outside the monarchy. Additionally, international influence and restrictions upon environmental hazards (fracking, GMO, pesticide use) will be reduced, affecting the climate and all life far beyond the island.

3 -Austerity in Britain

cw: mention of suicide

Britain is already suffering from budget cuts to much needed services whilst at the same time private companies are sweeping them up. Recipients of disability benefits were already seeing drastic cuts to their finances and a experienced a reduction in their well being when Britain was still part of the EU.

Women’s shelters are being shut, doctors are overworked and underpaid like all staff in the care sector is, and Brexit has reduced Britain’s chances of outside support of these already suffering services.

Tuition fees skyrocketed during EU membership and universities are being privatised like nowhere else in Europe. Now that the education system will be even less influenced by Europe, British universities are likely to be more deregulated and education will become even less accessible.

Those who will suffer the most are of course young people of colour, the MOGAI/ LGBTQAI+ youth and girls as well as disabled kids and those growing up in a working class home.

Suicide rates amongst these marginalised identity groups are on the rise in the UK as it is.

4 – The EU brings social unity not just political and economic (in)depence

The press speaks of economic and political consequences but nobody ever mentions the social impacts Brexit has. Simply put, Brexit sends one very clear signal to Europeans living on the island: ‘We don’t need you. You’re not welcome here’.

The anti-immigration propaganda is very dominant in England. Islamophobia and xenophobia especially towards the many Eastern Europeans in the UK has been highly dangerous in recent years.

In his resigning speech, David Cameron made very clear that the referendum’s result will not have any initial effect upon the Europeans living inside the UK, nor on British citizens. In reality he knows, as do we, that families and friendships will suffer from Brexit making travel and migration in and out of the country harder than it already is. Access to services for non-citizens will be reduced (as it is already being reduced for citizens) and possibilities to form private connections to people through travel (without economic or political purposes) will become increasingly harder. This is not just due to upcoming policies but more so due to the interpersonal climate of fear and hate created by Brexit propaganda.

Strawberry Fair Report

We’ve got reports from three ASC members who tabled at Strawberry Fair with us. Thank you to everyone who supported us by buying our zines or to everyone who just  by coming over and sharing a smile made our day! If you are interested in getting involved with the group, attending our discussion group, tabling with us at fairs or contributing to our zine, let us know!

Caitlin:

“What a fair this year! I was on two stalls so I couldn’t spend the whole day with ASC, however the time I did spend there was lovely. So many warm and compassionate people came over to have a chat. The weather was beautiful as we tucked into our vegan fish and chips and admired the amazing art work of one of our ASC members. We helped people make the connection while meeting like minded people and having some wonderful conversations. Thank you to everyone who came and supported us, hopefully we are one step further to animal and human liberation.”

 

 

Elecia:

Cw: domestic violence, discussion of fur farms

“ASC had our stall at Strawberry Fair for the second year running! We were really excited about meeting new people and sharing our zines and artwork with others. Luckily, our stall was near our friends and fellow activists at Cambridge Hunt Sabs and StandUp, a grassroots youth animal rights group. We were also next to a vegan ‘fish’ and chips van – surrounded by awesome vegans!

Unfortunately, not all stalls at the fair are free from violence. We saw a stall selling fur and animal skulls (the stall owner told us that the fur came from ‘roadkill’, although we believe this is untrue). Fur farms are horrifically cruel, and animals bred and kept for fur are often skinned alive. Please do not support this industry by buying fur.

 

 

The day was overcast, and for the most part fairly quiet. We met some lovely, compassionate people – including someone I met at our stall last year – who we had constructive and positive discussions with. Inevitably, we also had someone joke that cleaning bacteria is a speciesist act (which we led into a conversation about sentience) and a few people questioning the apparently ‘sexist’ nature of a group for womxn and non-binary people that excludes men (check out our FAQ page for our answer on this).

We also witnessed a traumatic incident which left some of our volunteers feeling shaken. ASC is an anti-oppression group, and we do not tolerate any kind of violence or aggressive behaviour and recognise the importance of reflecting this in our everyday actions. We were concerned about approaching the womxn, as it could have put not only us but the womxn and children in further danger. In the face of public displays of domestic abuse, we would usually advise following at a distance and if at all possible (keeping your safety and the safety of the other person firmly in mind) discreetly giving the victim of abuse information for local helplines (see http://cambridgedomesticviolence.weebly.com/help-available.html for more information about support in Cambridge).  However, watching the situation unfold, we were in a position where we had a safe space and were able to offer support.

Lex:

“While I didn’t get much hurt physically (I got pushed on the table and got some bruises on my back), it really affected me emotionally, especially as someone questioned if it is was a right thing to do to offer solidarity to the womxn and the children, because that way according to the person we were inviting violence towards us. But no, it was the right thing to do, violence never can be tolerated and I’m so proud that we as a group stood for what we believe. Personally I think this act of violence even strengthen us a group. I knew that I had everyone’s support and their backs, no matter what will happen. I hope we can turn this negative experience into something more positive and reflect it in our works in the future. And more than ever I’m sure that we will keep doing what we do and showing solidarity to every survivor of violence. Hopefully our works and acts will inspire others to stand up wherever possible for themselves and/or others. “

Anti-Speciesist Women – Now Anti-Speciesist Collective

Anti-Speciesist Collective Run by Non-Binary People and Womxn

You might have noticed a few changes around here. We have evolved as a group a lot throughout the last year, but we have never managed to fully reflect this in our public appearance.

Our physical discussion group, located in Cambridge UK, has since it’s inception in October 2014 been open not only to womxn but also non-binary people who experience misogyny. Soon we noticed that we must adapt our name to become more inclusive and to honour the hard work our non-binary organisers are putting into this group. This is how Anti-Speciesist Womxn has become the Anti-Speciesist Collective. Now we have also finally come up with a ‘new look’ for our public/online presence. Below you can see our brand new hand-drawn Anti-Speciesist Collective dodo created by Emily.

The new Anti-Speciesist Collective Logo: A Hand Drawn Dodo

Our appearance might have changed but we still stand for the same principles:

We seek to create safer spaces for womxn and non-binary people in the animal liberation movement, so as to encourage and empower ourselves and one another.

We challenge not only speciesist but also masculinist and imperialist power relationships within the movement and beyond and we actively work towards dismantling these power structures, which we see originating in kyriarchy.

We have a bi-monthly discussion group, exclusively for womxn and non-binary people. We meet in Cambridge (UK) where each week we discuss different themes concerning kyriarchy and animals (if you’d like to attend at any time, please get in touch, we are always excited about new people joining!).

We have also published two issues of a zine, which you can access here.

You might also see us around at fairs, festivals and demos. At these events we refrain from possibly traumatising or triggering people by using harmful tactics such as the ones we wrote about in this post for example. We are always happy to speak to people of all genders at these events and we appreciate the support our allies have shown us over the last year!

Lots of love and solidarity!

Your Anti-Speciesist Collective

DIY: Copy, Assemble, Spread our Double Issue Zine

You can Find both issues of our zine (still under the name anti-speciesist women – not collective) here:

anti speciesist women zine 1 and 2 double issue feminism and speciesim making the connection and human impacts (anti speciesist collective)

Send it to people, print it out and assemble it, share it as a present or just leave it somewhere in public, on a bus, on a bench or in someone’s post box. Have fun with it!

This is how it looks once it is printed and stapled together:

 

 

Good To know: Anti-Speciesist Definitions

Another extract from our zine double issue: This is our ‘Good to Know’ page with some definitions. The images below can be shared, printed out and distributed anywhere and everywhere.

The images read:

ALF: Animal Liberation Front; anybody can be the ALF by liberating animals and sabotaging or destroying animal exploitation facilities; the ALF does not cause harm to humans nor animals.

Ally: Someone who stands in solidarity with you in a struggle that they are not directly affected by; for example: a man who shares our values but will never experience sexism.

Carnism: belief system underlying the choice to consume animal flesh; implies meat-eating as a choice, not a necessity; subset of speciesism; opposite of veganism.

Feminsim: ideology advocating social, political and economic justice for womxn; different versions of feminism advocate also for MOGAI folk, animals and the environment.

Intersectionality: describes the circumstances of working class women of colour who experience threefold oppression.

Kyriarchy: the social structure that keeps systems of oppressions in place; includes all forms of inequality; derived from the Ancient Greek word for master or lord, kyrios; the ideology that dismantles kyriarchy is anarchism.

MOGAI: Marginalised Orientations, Gender Alignments and Intersex.

Privilege: unearned societal power of a dominant group, at the expense of the disadvantaged group; for example: white privilege is the advantage white people hold over people of colour.

Speciesism: discrimination based on species; ideology upholding human superiority over other species and allowing some animals moral consideration over others; Anti-Speciesism is then the resistance towards this system of oppression.

swe(r)f: sex worker exclusionary (radical) feminist; is opposed to sex workers’ rights, and is dismissive of their views; if you’re one of them the same applies to you as for the terfs.

te(r)f: trans exclusionary (radical) feminist; fucked up bigots who we hate because they only recognise cis womxn as womxn; if you’re one of them, leave right now.

Veganism: belief system underlying the choice not to eat animal flesh nor secretions; ethical version of a plant-based diet.

Womxn: alternative spelling of women, implying that we don’t need men to be complete; rejecting the terf term womyn.

Support the Blackmail 3

We are in the process of uploading digital versions of our zine double issue (including an overhaul of the first issue on ‘Feminism and Speciesism’ and an additional second issue on ‘Human Impacts’. Before we post the whole zine that you are invited to read, print and distribute, we are first uploading some select pieces from both zines to make sure they are as accessible as possible. So here we go. The first entry is an info sheet on the black mail three.

Share the image, make it your profile picture, print it out, use it as a poster or as leaflets and make sure everyone shows their solidarity with Debbie, Natasha and Sven! Most importantly, write to them or draw them something.

The above image is from our double issue zine and it has the ‘Support the Blackmail 3’ logo with a beagle behind bars on it. The text reads:

Natasha and Sven are accused of ‘conspiracy to blackmail’ in relation to Huntingdon Life Sciences (now Envigo). In April 2014, Debbie Vincent was sentenced to six years in prison for the same charge. Natasha and Sven are awaiting extradition   to the UK for their trial and face up to 14 years   in prison.

Messages of support, as well as letters about yourself, your day, your job, your hobbies, the weather, etc. can be sent this way:

info@freesvenandnatasha.org

Free Sven and Natasha

c/o Kebele

14 Robertson Road

Easton

Bristol

BS5 6JZ

 

Debbie Vincent #A5819DE

HMP Send

Ripley Road

Woking, Surrey GU23 7LJ

UNITED KINGDOM

 

Repression  is very isolating. Please consider writing to criminalised activists. Their addresses can be found here:

http://www.directaction.info/prisoners.htm

http://www.alfsg.org.uk/current_prisoners.html