For the Liberation of the Animal Nations: Examining Activist Framing of the Radical Animal Liberation Movement in North America by Genevieve Catherine Ross Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia August 2015 © Copyright by Genevieve Catherine Ross, 2015 DEDICATION For Matthew, my beloved husband, who fills my life with inspiration, hope, and joy; to all who fight passionately for the liberation of animals, the earth and humanity; and to all beings who suffer and die in captivity. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables .................................................................................................................... iv Abstract ...............................................................................................................................v List of Abbreviations Used .............................................................................................. vi Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................1 Chapter 2: Literature Review ...........................................................................................7 Background ......................................................................................................................... 7 RALM Tactics and the Radical Flank Effect .................................................................... 11 Who is the Real Terrorist? ................................................................................................ 13 On Violence ...................................................................................................................... 14 Social Justice and the RALM ........................................................................................... 17 Ideological Inclusion and Intersections in the RALM ...................................................... 20 (Another) Anarchistic Politics and Total Liberation ........................................................ 22 Ecofeminism ..................................................................................................................... 23 Examining the RALM from Activist Perspectives ........................................................... 26 Chapter 3: Research Design ............................................................................................28 Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 28 Strategy for Analysis......................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 4: Data Analysis ................................................................................................37 Diagnostic frames, or “Why we fight” ............................................................................. 38 Prognostic Frames, or ‘What is to be done?’ .................................................................... 52 Motivational Frames ......................................................................................................... 79 Toward New Understandings of the RALM ..................................................................... 88 Chapter 5: Conclusion .....................................................................................................91 References .......................................................................................................................104 iii LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: ALF Guidelines ................................................................................................ 9 Table 3.1: Types, Source and Number of Documents Analyzed ..................................... 30 iv ABSTRACT Through a qualitative content analysis of documents gleaned from the Animal Liberation Front, Earthling Liberation Kollective, and Grassroots Ontario Animal Liberation network websites and Facebook pages, I explore how the frames of activists in the North American radical animal liberation movement (RALM) intersect with frames developed by other radical social movements. Drawing on Robert Benford and David Snow’s work on collective action framing, I investigate how RALM activists portray diagnostic, prognostic and motivational social movement frames. The radical/ecofeminist concept of intersectionality is found to be highly influential in RALM frames, depicting common roots of oppression between animals, the earth, and humans, particularly Indigenous peoples, prisoners, and women. RALM activist critiques of hierarchy, state power, capitalism and the prison industrial complex reflect similar anarchistic movement frames. Despite such broad understandings demonstrated by many activists, some activists also express misogynistic and racist views, contributing to the ongoing isolation of the movement. Overall, however, my research suggests that although some barriers exist, the RALM has the potential to join with other movements to achieve common goals. v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED AETA Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act ALF Animal Liberation Front EF! EarthFirst! ELF Earth Liberation Front ELK Earthling Liberation Kollective FLA Frente de Liberación Animal FLT Frente de Liberación de la Tierra GOAL Grassroots Ontario Animal Liberation network HALT Hamilton/Halton Animal Liberation Team KOALA Kitchener Ontario Animal Liberation Alliance MAD Marineland Animal Defense PIC Prison Industrial Complex RALM Radical Animal Liberation Movement vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to my thesis supervisor, Dr. Howard Ramos, for his willingness to take on an unknown, idealistic IDS major, for his wisdom, guidance and humor throughout this intense and challenging year, and for the positive and constructive support which encouraged me to grow as a student, teaching assistant, researcher, and writer. Many thanks also to Dr. Alex Khasnabish, thesis committee member, for his thoughtful and enthusiastic encouragement and feedback over the past year, and for being an inspiration both as an activist and as an academic. Thanks to Dr. Fiona Martin for offering helpful, detailed and wise revisions, and for being willing to take this on in a very limited timeframe. I would also like to extend my warm thanks to Dr. Liesl Gambold, a brilliant teacher and a kind soul who has been a great support. Her friendship and the many laughs we shared throughout my TA-ship and as a student in her ethnography class were a highlight of my experience at Dal. Thanks to Dr. Liz Fitting for her advice and feedback throughout the graduate seminar. I am also grateful to Dr. Jim Conley from Trent University, whose kind recommendation and advice enabled my career at Dalhousie. To my family – Christina, Polly, Mom, Dad, Kim, Mike and Chris, thanks for believing in me and sharing my successes. Much gratitude to my beloved and departed Granny and Grandpa Quick, whose generosity made this year of school financially possible. You were strong believers in the value of education, and I know you would be happy and proud of me for pursuing this degree. Thanks to my fellow graduate students and friends at Dalhousie, especially Emily, Jason, Cassidy, Joy, Haley, Ulysses and Dani, for the friendship, advice and many good Times we shared, and to friends near and far who sent their good wishes and support throughout the year. A special thanks to my dear friend Che, the cool cat who graciously allows us to share his home. Your affectionate company through many long nights of writing was so precious. My deepest appreciation and thanks to all the activists whose words gave life to this thesis, and to all who struggle against coercive power, capitalism, prejudice, cruelty, exploitation and the destruction of the earth - your bravery and compassion changes the world. And lastly, but always first in my heart, my endless gratitude and love to my soulmate Matthew. Your own compassionate, critical and politically engaged research and passion for academia inspired me to try graduate school. You helped me to become a better and more authentic writer, believed in my abilities even when I didn’t, and sustained me with your love, contagious laughter, and epic music. You remind me every day of the beauty, truth and magic of life. vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION To some, Radical Animal Liberation Movement (RALM) activists are inspiring and exemplify bravery and idealism, for others they represent a threatening vision of misanthropic, misguided vigilantism. It is difficult, however, to understand the true nature of what motivates RALM activism and what it is comprised of because many of the movement’s activists largely remain in the shadows. They cannot reveal their identity nor speak with mainstream media for fear of state surveillance and arrest because many of their actions are deemed illegal. The result is that the views of activists on the purpose, strategies and goals of the RALM, and the ideology that informs the movement, is to a great extent unknown or misunderstood by others. Unable to relate to ideas of animal liberation because of their own dependence on animals for food, clothing, entertainment, and medical experimentation, many North Americans buy into the portrayals of the RALM that are dictated by governments and animal industry lobbyists and trumpeted by corporate- owned media,