The disturbing tactics and muddled thinking of animal rights activists can be revealed.
Delegates attending the 2017 National Animal Rights Conference let slip a string of alarming pronouncements.
Delegates at the gathering in Washington DC, US, left some onlookers stunned with their revealing thoughts.
They placed the welfare of animals above people, revelled in the idea that big business is “terrified” of them and said putting society and business under “pressure” was the best tactic.
A report by the Animal Agriculture Alliance which monitors the conference lifted the lid on the self-congratulatory conference.
James Aspey, speaker and activist told delegates: “I think we all know some causes are more precious than life. Animal rights and veganism is one of those.”
And Sreven Wise from a group called Nonhuman Rights Project said: “It is the beginning of the end of animal welfare and the beginning of civil rights for animals.”
Other activists said campaigns targeting restaurants, retail and foodservice companies are here to stay.
“They [food companies] don’t make policies due to altruism, they do it because of the pressure,” Jon Camp from The Humane League said.
And David Coman-Hidy, also from The Human League, said it would be a good idea to deface food brand ads.
He said: “I recommend putting blood drips on their logos.”
Krista Hiddema, from Mercy for Animals (Canada) added: “We are winning against the largest organisations in the world…they are terrified of us.”
The message of the conference was to encourage activists to take extreme action.
“Get media attention and refuse to speak softly,” Michael Webermann, said from Better Eating International,
And Zach Groff, from the Animal Liberation Collective, said confrontational activism was good.
He said, “This is the type of activism that can often upset people, it can rile people up.”
Rachel Meeropol, Centre for Constitutional Rights called for mink to be released from farms and into the wild – even though it can result in the death of the animal.
She said: “Releasing animals from captivity is an act of nonviolence, not an act of terrorism.”
Each year, the Agricultural Alliance produces a report from the conference with the goal of informing the industry about the strategies and tactics being used by activist groups to harm the reputation and future of animal agriculture.
