NEW ACTIVIST HANDBOOK 2 3 CONTENTS This handbook is your guide to the SF Bay Area chapter of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). By getting involved in any of I. INTRODUCTION 5 the varied aspects of the II. VISION, GOALS, AND STRATEGY 5 chapter, we hope to empower you to become III. TACTICS 6 the best activist you can A. Open Rescue 6 be! B. Protests 7 C. Community 8 D.The Liberation Pledge 9 E. Berkeley Animal Rights Center 9 F. Berkeley Coalition for Animals 10 DxE empowers a diverse IV. DxE’S VALUES 10 network of individuals committed to taking V. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 11 nonviolent direct action to A. Global Network 11 end the exploitation and 11 killing of all animals. B. SF Bay Area Chapter i. Working Groups 11 ii. Chapter Meetings 12 iii. SF Bay Area Core 13 iv. Community Leaderboard 13 C. Finances 13 Questions? Reach out to VI. THE LAST WORD 14 sfbay@directactionevery where.com or stop by the Berkeley Animal Rights Center (2425 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA) during open hours. 4 5 I. INTRODUCTION Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a global network of activists committed to ending the exploitation and killing of animals. The SF Bay Area chapter, headquartered in Berkeley, is DxE’s first and largest chapter. Like other revolutionary social justice movements, animal liberation requires thousands of committed activists taking nonviolent direct action together. For this reason, DxE focuses on community building, disruptive protest, and open rescue. Learn more about these tactics in Section III. DxE was founded in Oakland in 2013 by a small group of activists frustrated with the state of the mainstream animal rights movement. Since its founding, DxE’s accomplishments include: • mobilization of thousands of activists • demonstrations in over 165 cities and 34 countries • rescues of dozens of animals from industrial farms • coverage in leading publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and ABC Nightline • opening the first community center for animal rights in the USA (Berkeley Animal Rights Center) • legislation passed by the Berkeley City Council YOU can be a part of this movement! The first step is just to show up to any of our events. Check out the DxE SF Bay Calendar here. II. VISION, GOALS AND STRATEGY DxE envisions a world where animals are respected as unique individuals with unalienable rights, including bodily autonomy. We use nonviolent direct action to force the subject of animal rights into the public discourse. Here in Berkeley, we’re creating a model of social, political and legal change for animals that, like other social movements, will spread to other regions, states and countries. 6 Roadmap to Liberation DxE activists have developed a 40-Year Roadmap to Liberation - a series of steps leading to a Constitutional Amendment conferring basic rights for animals. The Roadmap is a long-term plan that will be amended over time so as to accommodate movement and societal change. You can read the roadmap here. 2017 Goals DxE’s short-term goals, with an emphasis on the Berkeley hub, include: 1. Open Rescue a. 12 open rescues b. Three long-form pieces on open rescue in mainstream media. 2. Mobilization a. 200+ activists regularly attending SF Bay Area monthly days of Action b. Coalitions with 20 individuals and/or organizations able to mobilize activists c. 15 Activist Houses in the East Bay 3. Liberation Pledge a. 4000 people taking the Liberation Pledge. Read the 2017 Campaign Strategy here. III. TACTICS Open rescue, protest, intentional community building, and the Liberation Pledge are DxE’s primary tactics. We also operate the Berkeley Animal Rights Center and work closely with Berkeley Coalition for Animals, an advocacy group supporting animal rights legislation in Berkeley. A. Open Rescue In open rescue, activists enter farms or other facilities without permission, document the conditions, and remove some sick and injured animals. These animals are given whatever medical attention they require, and then placed in permanent homes, typically sanctuaries, where they spend the rest of their lives happy, safe and free. In open rescue, as opposed to traditional undercover investigations, the investigators act openly, without masks, and publish their full identities. 7 Since their identities are public, open rescue investigators can speak and write about their personal experiences inside industrial farms. People relate to their personal, often emotional, stories. They recognize that investigators are ordinary people simply exposing the conditions inside commercial farms and saving animals. As well, the individual animals’ stories of rescue and recovery can be shared with the world. People feel much more empathy for an individual (human or nonhuman) than for a statistic. Prior to DxE’s open rescue initiative, there had been only about 12 open rescues in the US, and only one since 2005. As of today, DxE has executed nine open rescues including chickens, turkeys, pigs, and dogs. In the coming months and years, DxE will train and empower hundreds of activists to carry out open rescues and eventually complete hundreds of rescues each year. Open rescue involves much more than just entering farms and rescuing animals. It entails extensive research and planning, animal fostering and care, video editing, writing, and sharing stories through protests and the media. By sharing videos on Facebook, coming to protests, and donating to DxE, you are already part of the Open Rescue Network. If you want to learn more, you can attend an intensive open rescue training (hosted about 3 times per year in the Bay Area.) E-mail [email protected]. B. Protests Protest has always been a critical part of every successful social justice movement. Protest, especially when it’s disruptive, forces people to pay attention to injustices being perpetrated on minority or marginalized populations. It addition, they not only demonstrate but also deepen the activists’ seriousness and determination to the cause. DxE protests are nonviolent in word, action and tone. Rather than condemn individuals for their specific consumer choices, we speak out against the systemic oppression of animals. We may protest supermarkets, food festivals that exploit animals, or large political or sporting events. Our goal is to get as many people as possible thinking and talking about animal liberation. Please join our monthly Day of Action, posted on the DxE SF Bay Community Calendar. You can also participate in the two to four additional protests we have each month in the 8 Bay Area. You’ll never be pressured to do more than you feel comfortable doing at a protest. You can simply hold up a sign or just observe if you prefer. C. Community Community is integral to all successful social movements. In the past, movements have originated in pre-existing communities, such as the Black church in the case of the civil rights movement or unions in the case of the labor movement. DxE intentionally cultivates a welcoming and supportive community. DxE SF Bay Area community activities include: Weekly Meetups, Saturday at 11:00am: While the program varies, there is always time for socializing over pastries and coffee. Potlucks at activist houses around Berkeley: New activists can get to know one another and enjoy delicious vegan food. Join a potluck by contacting [email protected]. New Activist Orientations: Newcomers meet the community and learn about our activities and working groups at monthly events. These evenings have fun party themes. Connections Program: Veteran community members spend time (hiking or having coffee, e.g.) with newcomers in small groups so they can get to know one another. E- mail mailto:[email protected] to join. Animal Care: Several times each month, DxE volunteers go to a sanctuary. This is a great way to get to know activists and animals and to learn about animal care. E-mail mailto:[email protected] to find out about upcoming trips. DxE Forum: The Forum is DxE’s annual conference and takes place here in Berkeley during the last weekend of May. The Forum attracts hundreds of activists from around the world. Register for the Forum at dxeforum.com. Activist Houses: There are currently six communal activist houses in the East Bay and more in formation. Activist houses host potlucks and community events, host out-of- town activists visiting Berkeley, and provide safe supportive spaces for resident 9 activists. E-mail [email protected] for more information on activist housing. D. The Liberation Pledge The Liberation Pledge is a way for activists to show their commitment to animals and change the social norms among their respective families and friends. The Liberation Pledge has three components: 1. Publicly refuse to eat animals - live vegan. 2. Publicly refuse to sit where people are eating animals. 3. Encourage others to take the pledge. When you see members of the community wearing a fork bent into a bracelet, it means they’ve taken the Liberation Pledge. They’ll be happy to talk to you about it. Just ask! The Liberation Pledge was modeled after another pledge that had massive success in changing norms - a pledge against foot binding in China. In the late 1800s, after a thousand- year struggle against foot binding, families began pledging to refuse to marry their sons to women who had bound feet. While at first these families were few and far between, the pledge began to spread and foot binding was soon eliminated. We hope to do the same with eating animals. At first glance, the Liberation Pledge may seem isolating and difficult, but many activists who have taken the pledge have seen major changes in their social circles. We have an online Liberation Pledge support group and often discuss aspects of the Pledge at Meetups.