The Vegan Police is Fucking Dead!

May 11th, 2013

A couple of years too late, and just following an overly ambitious attempt at resuscitation. Is this how a lot of bands feel?

I’ve never been able to find a solid balance for this project and after our call to try and move to a listener supported format fell entirely flat – it’s clear it’s never going to get to that place (or that I don’t have the time to get it there).

Every day I stare down about 15+ social media pages, 5 or so websites and email accounts. I am beyond tired of the constant content that needs to be put up just to remain relevant. The age of online austerity is upon me – and I gotta make some cuts.

We’ve always tried to open this site up to include more voices and more content, but every time we do we are met with the same people with the same problems. Folks juggling ten different projects all trying hard to just keep up. If this is going to be done right it needs to be done by someone who will focus on it, almost exclusively, and that will never be me and I don’t know that person.

We go out after 5 years. This site has been involved in at least two court cases (to my knowledge), raised thousands of dollars for animal sanctuaries and movement prisoners and took a lot of hard and un popular stances that a lot of other folks were not willing to take. The friendships that developed out of this site, and the knowledge I gained, are an easy trade off for the thousands of dollars and hours that I have poured into it. I am grateful and I want to leave grateful.

The decision becomes easier as I’ve never felt like the bases we cover here have ever been this covered before (over the last 5 years at least). Sites like the Talon Conspiracy Archive, Bite Back’s introduction on social media, and new sites like Cruelty Leaks and even Josh Harper’s personal tumblr are all providing high quality, up to the minute, insightful commentary and news about the animal liberation movement. The days of the void being filled by sites like Negotiation is Over are gone – fortunately! (What you thought we would go out without shit talking?)

If I feel like I need to write something to get it out there there are enough platforms that already exist. That is a good thing. This site dies because the effort, energy and resources that need to go into it to make it relevant don’t exist and enough people are already doing a better job. I am cool with that.

So, we are dead now. The libsyn account will be cancelled today. The domain will stay up for another year or so until that expires and that is it. I will leave the social media sites up for about a week just so folks can get in touch if they want. It was a cool ass ride, but it’s over.

As for me, I will continue to focus my time on pressure campaigns that I am part of – especially Marineland Animal Defense as with that campaign I will be in the legal system for it’s duration (either until the park is closed, or the campaign is destroyed). Closing up shop here is no indication of me walking away from animal liberation or any of my convictions. I expect folks will be hearing more from and of me in the future and I hope folks will remember this site and give their support. You can also always reach out on twitter @dylanxpowell or reach me by email at dylanjamespowell@gmail.com

Thank you to all of the folks who made it all possible. You are rad.

To everyone who bought one of our 202 printed shirts (two extra special prints, one for Jill K and one for Georges Laraque) you hold in your possession a secret handshake – use it wisely as there will never be any more (if you try and bootleg the designs I will hunt you down).

STOP CONSUMING ANIMALS!

PEACE!

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PODCAST: Ag Gag, World Week for Animals in Laboratories Recap, Undercover Investigations and more!

May 7th, 2013

Activists in Milan, Italy locked down in a Vivisection lab during World Week for Animals in Laboratories

Global World Week for Animals in Laboratories recap, recent Ag Gag coverage in the U.S. and Finland, Undercover Investigations in Russia, Sweden, the UK, Estonia and big ass demos!

LISTEN HERE

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The Fall Guy: Undercover Video, Ag Gag and Where We Get It Wrong

April 28th, 2013

I’ve followed the introduction of Ag Gag Bills – bills designed to criminalize undercover video of animal use industry – since they were in the dream phase in the wake of the Conklin Dairy Farm undercover video in 2010. That particular undercover investigation, I feel, is one of the most important undercover video investigations in the history of the “animal rights” movement and set the stage for the current battles around Ag Gag bills as well as our movements response.

The footage captured in that investigation was horrific and one particular character seemed to take pleasure in extreme violence against animals on the farm – Billy Joe Gregg Jr. It was nearly impossible to watch that footage and not dream of justice – whether you were a regular member of the public or a hardened animal liberationist. Animal agriculture – across the country – went into overdrive to recognize this particular weakness and exploited it. Billy Joe Gregg Jr. was the “bad apple,” the fall guy. The movement as a whole was so wrapped up in this character, in this horrific footage, that very few people questioned the structure of industrialized animal use or the precedent being set – the singling out and criminalization of individual workers as a movement strategy and measure of “success.”

In between then and now a different narrative has been presented – I would say popularly – with Timothy Pachirat’s undercover and critical take on the slaughter industry, “Every Twelve Seconds.” This work illustrated the connections in the machinations of industrialized animal use which renders other animals and fellow humans into commodities. The works focus is important in that it does not separate this – it is an undercover look at slaughter as well as exploitative labour and precarious employment with which the slaughter industry relies. Understood on these terms, the book provides a backdrop which can be used to coalition build with workers and understand common enemies – the ruling elite who profit off of these facilities. Ag gag bills would make Pachirat’s work illegal and is important as his work illustrates how Ag Gag bills not only effect animal use – but also the working conditions of these facilities which would also be criminalized. For an industry that relies on exploitative labour, marginalized populations, and which presents some of the greatest health and safety risks as well as a host of traumas – it is advantageous to them if “animal rights” activists do not make this connection and focus solely on the criminalization of undercover information regarding animal use. If “animal rights” activists, labour unions, and migrant justice advocacy organizations can be leveraged and wedged in order to fight this legislation in isolation the ability to resist it will be severely weakened.

Fast forward to 2013 and the idea that the criminalization of workers as a result of undercover video is a “victory” is now commonplace in the “animal rights” movement. Large non profit organizations like Mercy for Animals frequently send out donor pitches claiming “victory,” “success,” “take down,” etc. when referencing cruelty convictions for individual workers at industrial facilities. These organizations cannot control whether or not charges are laid in these cases – but they can manage and strategize around how effective their messaging and vision is. Cruelty convictions which focus on workers do little to nothing to effect the actual structure, process, or profit of animal agriculture – in fact they aid the messaging and strategy of animal agriculture. The inability of the “animal rights” movement to recognize this and change strategy has ensured that when designer legislation like Ag Gag bills were brought forward we were already behind – and not in anyway positioned to build strong strategic coalitions across movements. Organizers like Andy Stepanian have been trying to play catch up and new ag-gag focus which would also target anti-pipeline and anti-fracking documentation has provided some new outlets to organize with more familiar movements. However, as a movement we still continue to accept a strategy which keeps us from building relationships with communities which could strengthen not only our resistance to Ag Gag bills, but also provide our movement with a much needed understanding of whiteness, privilege and capitalism. Folks like Andy have also pointed out the Streisand effect that Ag Gag bills have had in the media – drawing more attention to the issue by the mere fact that the animal enterprise industry is attempting to legally hide practices – but these are only partial victories when considered against the coalitions we are refusing to build by reducing animal abuse to individual acts.

Prisons are not rehabilitative spaces – members of our own movement can attest to this. Criminalizing workers who work in one of the most dangerous industries on the planet, many with the threat of deportation hanging over their head, does absolutely nothing to effect or even slow down the systemic and structural abuse of animals in our industrialized societies. The longer we fight Ag Gag bills along these lines the more opportunity we give to the opposition to wedge, leverage and isolate those who stand between them and their profits. It’s three years late, but I hope it’s not too late to change our course and get it right.

It is time to stop celebrating the fall guy and refocus on the decision makers, owners and those who actually profit from these industries.

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#wednesdaysupport – Leslie James Pickering

April 10th, 2013

When we set out to revitalize this site, having a plan to help fight repression – both corporate and state – was a big focus. I am currently fighting a $1.5 million Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation including multiple location injunctions – and as I have been a part of the animal liberation movement I have noticed certain tendencies in how repression is shifting. Although a lot of focus is on legislation like the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act – it has rarely ever been used. Folks currently are much more likely to face SLAPP suits, corporate “grey information” mining, corporate smear campaigns and/or grand juries than they are to face conspiracy and domestic terrorism charges. We need to stay current with this kind of stuff and broaden our scope and also our support. This doesn’t mean we forget folks who are locked up – or who have been and are out now – but it means we recognize that the opposition is using diverse strategies to inflict the most damage they possibly can and that everyone needs support.

It’s tough to give an intro for Leslie – so let me say he has a beautiful smile and beautiful family! Leslie is a long time organizer, community builder and movement figure. He was a co-founder of the North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office, founding member of the Liberation Collective, a writer of numerous books we have gushed over on this site and is now currently running a radical book store back in his hometown of Buffalo, NY with his family and friends. Leslie himself has done years of prisoner support organizing and to me he has been a mentor and a great support. If you are not sold on supporting him at this point – gtfo!

Right now the State is actively trying to fuck with Leslie, his family, and his bookstore Burning Books. He is under investigation by the FBI, US Postal Service, Homeland Security and a Federal Grand Jury – all as a result of his political beliefs. In different times we would, rightfully, call this thought crimes.

Tonight Leslie has an event in Buffalo, NY where he and one of his lawyers Michael Kuzma will give a report back on the work they are doing to fight this repression. If you are just hearing about this now – and can magically get out for it – please do! If not, it never hurts to check in with Les to see about organizing a support event in your city (fyi though: he can’t cross the border into Canada as a result of the fucked up shit listed above). For all the rest, please donate or share Les’s story. Donation information is below – all funds are going towards the legal fund to push back against this repression. Join that push!

You can best help by spreading the word far and wide. Then, if you’re able, you could send donations made out to “Michael Kuzma, Attorney Escrow Account,” 1893 Clinton Street, Buffalo, NY 14206 and put “Resist State Repression in BFLO” in the subject line. All funds raised will be used for court filing fees and related litigation costs.

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PODCAST: 269life, South Korean Dog Meat Campaigns, #DemoUp, Movement News, Whitemouse and more!

April 9th, 2013


Images from an Israeli hen rescue claimed by 269life – April 9, 2013

Breakdown of the new “Movement News” era of the Vegan Police, commentary on 269life and South Korean Dog Meat Campaigns, Daniel McGowan support and more all set up by Niagara Vegan powerviolence band Whitemouse’s first demo.

LISTEN HERE

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The “Movement News” Era (Support Needed!)

April 9th, 2013

We got some big plans and some big news.

First, this project has been around for about four and a half years now and it has always grown alongside the organizing that I have been doing and dependent upon the time and resources I have to put into it. It would not still be around if many folks, over the years, hadn’t supported what we have done by sending in their writing, agreeing to interviews, sharing our commentary, buying our fundraiser t-shirts and commenting to move us forward. All of that stuff is not lost on me, or the folks who have written for the site, and we thank you.

A lot of the aims of the projects have stayed the same even though we have refined our ideas. This is still a space to promote and fundraise for animal sanctuaries and also still a place to promote, fundraise and tune in to prisoner support. Some of the things on the site are frankly embarrassing to read or listen to now – but they are an accurate snapshot of the heart of what the intent was – to promote movement building.

As we approach year five, the folks involved with this site have the skills, networks and relationships to provide a stable and reliable source of movement news for the animal liberation movement. Also, through the up’s and downs of this project we have built a solid foundation from which to get this information out to the world. It would take significant effort and time for a new project to develop these relationships, or to build the social media footprint we have. For this reason, we are trying – for the first time – to get very serious.

The “Movement News” era is an attempt to shift this project to a community/listener support format that will enable us to build the resources we need effectively publish steady commentary, deliver constant podcasts, and also provide high quality video and editing. Up til this point this entire project has been run out of pocket and on (fleeting) spare time. We have raised thousands of dollars for animal sanctuaries, prisoners and animal advocacy organizations – and also put a ton of time, energy and money into keeping it alive. If you, like us, believe that there is a void for this kind of information and we have the ability to fill – now is the time to support.

What will this look like in practice? Expect a more constant and stable social media presence and specific social media strategies to promote the grassroots initiatives that need help. Send us your press releases, send us your demonstration event pages, send us your recaps and photos. From now on we post these things with the tag #demoup. We hope to build this to the point where we can act as a hub to promote a coordinated grassroots movement – and also as a way to leverage soial media strategy to get folks active and in the streets. Hosting a CALL/EMAIL/FAX event? We have you covered with the #phoneinfantry – another tag created for the same purpose. Wednesdays are now #wednesdaysupport – where each week we will pick someone facing repression (state or corporate) or someone currently or previously locked up! Last, but not least, each month we will focus on a Sanctuary and promote the heck out of them trying to encourage and offer substantive support.

Also expect a higher quality podcast (not right away tho!), more movement commentary, more interviews, more voices and more support for the things which we build this project around – Sanctuary, Prisoner and Grassroots Movement support.

Below is the funding structure we are rolling out. If folks would like to donate monthly to support – or would like to donate to specific items (new mics, software, domain/hosting costs, etc.) please reach out at theveganpoliceradio@gmail.com. For folks who can one time donate – use that same email address for paypal or email money transfer. (Excuse the titles if they offend you – they are intended to be humorous- we actually hate cops if you didn’t notice/don’t get it!) Content on the site will always remain free – however, funders will get extras (i.e. yearly or monthly donations over $100 will get your choice of vegan police t-shirt re-prints, and giveaway materials). For folks looking to advertise on the site in response to giving – send us a pitch at that email.

Monthly
Snitch – $5/Month
Provocateur – $10/Month
Street Cop – $25/Month
Detective – $50/Month
Sergent – $100/Month+

Yearly
Inspector – $110/Year
Chief – $250/Year
Bomb Squad – $500/Year
Secret Agent – $1000/Year

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Can the Animal Rights Movement Move from Analogy to Allyship?

April 8th, 2013

Numerous times on this site I have written about whiteness in the AR movement and how analogy plays a role. I have also talked a bit about some ways to combat this – understand the history of the anti-slavery movement and the development of the prison abolitionist movement, return to face to face on the ground grassroots campaigns, recognize that the position of animal advocates is that of an ally movement, etc. All of these have been specific responses to the issues being raised – the co option of the anti slavery movement and post racialism in online “abolitionist” vegan culture, slick social media campaigns which leverage oppressed human populations to prioritize other animal species, etc. Of everything I have ever written for this site – these articles got the most negative attention. How dare I? I was “dividing the movement,” it was all about “my ego,” the animal rights movement could never be racist and I was being speciesist for suggesting that analogy was problematic. A couple of things became clear after this process has been repeated now a couple of times – first, that the things I was writing about struck a deep nerve and made people feel uncomfortable and two, that I need to do a better job of communicating not only problems – but also the way out.

The problems with analogy and the “animal rights” movement are far larger than just one single campaign – analogy is widely used by the larger multi national advocacy organizations just as it can be found in tiny grassroots communities. People passionately respond to many of the same sentiments across communities, structures, and even borders – the “animal rights movement is just like the struggle to end slavery, or for the right for women to vote!” – “If you wanted to know where you would have stood on the issue of slavery then figure out how you stand on the issue of animal rights!” etc. These images, sayings, beliefs, are popular and powerful because they validate the feelings of a movement that exists in the margins of the larger “social justice” community (if at all). We so desperately seek this validation that we – as a movement – will completely fabricate quotes by figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and others in order to illustrate our purpose (yes, all of those pro animal rights quotes supposedly spoken by MLK Jr. are completely fabricated). We will completely ignore large sections of history, complete erase any current critical reflection on power and how those struggles have continued, frequently demand that other movements bow to our us, and even co-opt and leverage the brutal history of other movements for our own aims. The driving notion is that if we can validate our movement – even by analogy, and by force – we will win our rightful place in the broader social justice movement and our cause will grow to a critical mass. If this was going to happen though – it would have happened decades ago.

In the process of facilitating this kind of movement culture we have done quite a bit to destroy the language, skills and space to actually build lasting relationships across movements. Our attempts to validate our movement – at all costs – have largely ensured that we have to isolate ourselves from other movements, other forms of oppression, or any reflection on history, power, domination. Our politics – as a movement – are as shallow as others claim. We have prioritized consumer veganism – not animal liberation – and used this bench mark for our ability to identify with or organize against other forms of oppression (which have their own specificity and are just by themselves regardless of how “vegan” they are). Racism does not cease to be racism because a person is not vegan – queerphobia and queerbashing does not suddenly become justified because the person attacked eats other animals. Even attempts to broaden the movement with the language of intersectionality – the theory and practice that forms of oppression and domination can’t merely be understood as static and isolated – has been co-opted on these terms with vegans and animal rights activists espousing “intersectionality” as their philosophy while only working in and prioritizing the animal rights movement (which again others must acknowledge!)

The good news is that just as the “animal rights” movement was constructed on these shallow politics – it can also be re shaped, destroyed, and built anew. There is nothing inherent about being an ally to other animal species which demands this kind of behavior. The opposite is actually the case – although being an ally will look different and specific to each form of oppression and each community – if vegans, animal liberationists and animal rights activists can understand their position as such they can began to work on a template and language to reflect on other forms of privilege.

What does this look like? It looks like folks from our movement dropping the analogy card – fast. It means white folks in the movement understanding that whiteness is embedded and privileged in our society and that it isn’t removed by a book, a workshop, or your good intentions or passion to advocate for other animals. It means that words like slavery, holocaust and rape get put on the shelf – and used by folks who speak from experience (if at all). This is a tough thing for people to accept – I have even argued against it before – but these horrific things are not tools to advocate for other animals and refining our language does not do a disservice to the animals we advocate for. Illustrating our passion – basically to each other – and one up’ing just how vegan we are, how much we care, how much we suffer, may do something to give our lives purpose, but it can also spiral into a horrible strategy for building a mass movement capable of a broad politic and understanding of oppression. We need language that illustrates the specificity of the horrors we perpetrate against other animal species that is inclusive and that is capable of building relationships across movements. More importantly, we need to develop long term and face to face relationships outside of our movement – not just because it could selfishly grow our movement, but because the practice of justice is an end to itself. We need to go to Pride Parades and leave the vegan outreach pamphlets at home – instead, pick up some of the literature being handed out to you by radical queer groups critical of the prison and medical industrial complex. We need to, immediately, end the practice of co-opting symbolic events/days that highlight the darker impulses of our human history and instead go to workshops, speaking events, film screenings, demonstrations and sit and listen to what Apartheid was like in South Africa and what it is currently like for Palestinians and many indigenous nations through the world. We need to hunger strike for prisoners who are non-vegan. We need to show our conviction not in how deep our passion is – but in how strong we hold to being an ally and how quickly we can apply a critique of power and privilege to other relationships. We need to also take a back seat. There is more validation in listening than there is in fabricating quotes and erasure.

There is more validation in listening than there is in fabricating quotes and erasure.

Who wants to get on board?

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Performance Politics: Abstract Animals and Suffering Humans

April 4th, 2013

I’ve written on this site before about the issues with the 269life campaign as it relates to analogy, appropriation and racism. That post stirred a lot of discussion, but there is another element to this campaign that I think needs to be looked at critically aside from issues raised in that post. I believe this campaign to be fueled by, and popularized because, it both plays off of and encourages embedded whiteness and also because it plays off of and encourages performative politics. What do I mean by performantive politics? I mean that it engages in actions that are symbolic which tell us more about the person involved then the issue being referenced.

History of Beginnings of the Animal Liberation Movement

The very beginnings of the animal liberation movement were rooted in real life struggles where people intervened to disrupt or stop animal use – people physically placing themselves in front of hunt vehicles and in the line of fire. The goal – as the movement developed – was to establish a direct link between you and an exploited animal(s) to use whatever resources you had to stop that practice. Individual actions developed into large scale pressure campaigns, day light raids, open rescues and later into full scale arson and massive property destruction. Throughout, everyone in the movement realized that other animal species were not merely an abstraction, they were not an image, they were not something to be theorized – they were suffering beings that begged intervention using any means possible. This was a politic and a movement that established human beings as allies to other animal species.

Professionalization, Careerism, Consumerism and Celebrity Culture

As our movement expanded and began to professionalize, a shift occurred which saw a move towards consumerism, celebrity culture and careerism. That direct link – between advocates and the exploited – began to erode slowly and was aided by State infiltration, repression and corporate blowback. Advocates – either fearing repression, hoping for a movement career, or naively sold on new movement goals – began to prioritize vegan and/or vegetarian education and to restrict movement tactics and strategies to fit the corporate models being developed by the larger professional non profits. Campaigns, which were directly tied to real life targets, lost popularity, were isolated as radical, and lost organizers to prison. Social media and online culture facilitated this process as the “connectedness” of advocates allowed for a false sense of progress even if no real life target was established or no living, breathing animal was being advocated for. Within this movement culture other animal species have moved to the position of abstraction – they are an image, a stand in for a philosophy and a movement which has currently stalled and is self referential.

Although online vegan culture is growing, as is consumer culture and multi national non profits, actual on the ground campaigns to advocate for living breathing animals has completely regressed. Those that do campaign have to fight an upper layer of movement corporate bureaucracy that will attempt to co-opt, control tactics and divert resources and also fight against being isolated as radical. Although, by all accounts, there are more vegans in North America and that veganism is far more normalized than ever before – we have fewer active grassroots campaigns than we did in the 1980’s. Shutting down facilities and leveraging the capitalist system to the advantage of other animals is no longer a movement priority – vegan leafleting, tv ads, celebrity endorsements and bus ads now fill that space.

Also – as veganism has grown and normalized it has also positioned humans (vegans) as suffering in the place of other animal species; legal challenges which attempt to include veganism as a “human right” or that illustrate vegans as “discriminated” against all remove the position and title of ally, movement commentators have developed careers out of talking and writing about movement repression without any acknowledgment that ally movements MUST face repression, etc. Many vegans now enter the issue from different viewpoints and fail to even recognize that veganism is merely one tool towards animal liberation and not an end unto itself.

This is the atmosphere in which campaigns like 269life can flourish. 269life is not tied to any specific target and it makes reference to a specific animal only as a symbol. More importantly, it allows humans involved to re position themselves as the ones suffering – either by branding or by tattoo. Whereas movement sacrifice used to be understood as placing one’s body between the hunter and the hunted – we now see movement sacrifice in the symbolic ritual of our own (collective) suffering. This is a problem for a movement which claims to advocate FOR other animal species.

Performative Politics That Work

Ideally I’d argue for a return to the campaign based model that was successful and which built the animal liberation movement – however, I do also want to acknowledge recent tactics that are an exception to the process outlined above. Igualdad Animal – which began as a small grassroots advocacy group in Spain – made international waves with their public square demonstrations wherein advocates held the bodies of dead animals. There campaign was a broad educational/awareness campaign that had no fixed location – however, the other animals being advocate for where not merely an abstraction – they were directly in the hands of those demonstrating. The images are powerful and the tactic has been repeated by other advocacy groups with success. This is just one example of how we can use campaigns not fixed to a target (lessening the chance of repression) while still having an impact and not treating other animals as mere abstractions.

Moving Forward

The successes of the 269life campaign cannot be separated from their performative politics or their acritical approach to analogy and whiteness. I don’t want to give the idea that 269life just needs to move their events to specific locations in order to become a welcome part of the animal liberation movement (or at least the one I am part of – to whatever extent I have a say). This is instructive though for people everywhere thinking and visioning about what their advocacy will look like. Who am I helping? What position or role do I have to play in order to facilitate that process and who am I accountable to? These are extremely important fundamental questions that need to be asked of each campaign, and our movement as a whole. Many long time advocates have not voiced their criticism of the 269life campaign publicly because they do not take it seriously – that is a mistake. It is a popular campaign and it’s popularity comes as a result of some of the worst excesses of the “animal rights” movement. We need to get back to a movement that understands what it means to be an ally, and that also understands what it takes to actually remove other animals from suffering. – Dylan Powell

References

The Vegan Ideal – Why Vegan Oppression Cannot Exist
The Talon Conspiracy Archive – (Full Archive)

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Review: “The Evan Mecham Eco Terrorist International Conspiracy” by Leslie James Pickering

February 5th, 2013

We’ve followed, and been fans of Leslie’s writing on this site and I was excited recently to head over to Leslie’s radical book store – Burning Books – in Buffalo, NY to give a talk. The place is full of books I’d love to take home, but I made it a priority to pick up Leslie’s latest – a zine detailing the history of EMETIC or the Evan Mecham Eco Terrorist International Conspiracy.

I cracked the zine open the next night hoping to read a bit and fall asleep as we had big march planned for the next day. I ended up blowing through the 59 pages in one go – trading sleep for inspiration.

The zine is well researched, and presented with a focus only possible for folks who have been on the front lines like Leslie has – Leslie served as a co-founder for the Earth Liberation Front Press Office from 1999-2002. The first half of the text is a history of EMETIC and the second half is an interview with EMETIC defendant Peg Millett. In each section the focus really pushes the text as a how-to; how to organize on a coalition basis, how to survive prison, how to watch for signs of infiltration and repression, etc. Aside from this, the text also does a great job of linking EMETIC, a radical break away group of Earth First!ers in the late 80’s who were doing large scale property destruction and “ecotage,” to what would be the development of the Earth Liberation Front in the late 90’s.

Leslie recounts the motivation for the zine as countering a mythology and romanticism that surrounded histories of the Earth Liberation Front and attempting to create a movement history that is grounded in realistic narratives (human flaws and all) alongside information meant to be inspiration and applicable. As someone who worked on a project with a similar focus – the Conflict Gypsy archive – I fundamentally believe in this vision and know the exact issues with what Leslie is countering – where movement romanticism becomes a priority above action.

This is a must for folks interested in radical history, especially for those who are interested in the roots of the modern earth liberation movements. The intersectional focus of the EMETIC crowd – who organized in solidarity with Navajo and Hopi Nations and took on mining, development and the nuclear industry – is also something that many in the earth and animal liberation movements should brush up on. Our movements started from a broad base and only through co-option (non profit and otherwise) have their focuses narrowed and become isolated.

This is also a timely text as large non-profits like 350.org and the Sierra Club are using mass civil disobedience to oppose pipelines and environmental destruction – but with unknown long term results. The text is vital to understanding how the non profit world has consistently denounced property destruction and facilitated capitalism – but we now stand on the verge of large scale projects that are unlikely to be swayed any other way.

The highlight of the zine – and the reason it was so easy to read in one sitting – is the fact that this serious focus is matched with the absurd humor that EMETIC employed, as well as, the frankness of Peg Millett. The history behind their acronym, and communiques like, “The use of this mountain to entertain rich white people by allowing them to slide down without bother of walking up is inappropriate” make it easy to identify with folks who knew they were taking a very serious step – but who also knew that macho bravado or rhetoric wasn’t the spirit of what drove their actions.

The zine is cheap – $4/$5 – and I’d highly suggest picking up a copy. This is the type of movement history you will not find anywhere else (which is a theme with Leslie as his biography of “Mad Bomber Melville” is a similar must.) If you can – also make it out to Burning Books in Buffalo and support what they are doing with their radical space/bookstore. Leslie’s got a bunch of stories still not on paper and it’s vital that those stories – and histories – keep getting passed on.

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Interview: Matt Miner and the “Liberator” Comic Book

January 21st, 2013

Animal Liberation and how it is portrayed in popular culture has almost always been a tricky subject to traverse. We’re often left with a raised eyebrow at some very over the-top and unrealistic vegan character on an episode of Law and Order who we wince at for attacking people who are casually eating burgers on the street—their dreadlocks and dirty clothes flailing while some cop puts them into a cruiser. We sigh at the disheveled woman character throwing paint or a family of cartoon hippies who have a goat in their living room and “peta” t-shirts or some crap like that. We’ve been reduced to the worst end of the writing spectrum!

In so many forms of entertainment and infotainement compassionate animal advocates are either the butt of a joke, completely removed from society/relation or they are the villains, who needs to be contained lest society devolve into chaos. News media would often have you believe that we have no goals aside from destruction, and even this week in a statement locally, a notorious animal abuser called activists in our local area “radical animal rights bullies.” We’ve been getting a bad rap for a good long while, and for what–caring about animals as much as we do ourselves, and for living out politics? It’s skewed at best, and dangerously uninformed at worst.

Enter Matt Miner and his project titled “Liberator” which is a multi-issue comic book series that follows antiheros that avenge the torture of animals! (Finally, a story that we as a community can be proud to associate with.) Matt himself is a long-time dedicated animal advocate, the series is not an outsider interpreting our scene but rather someone on the inside writing stories that can bring in AR people and comic book fans alike. The project is presently looking for backers; individuals can contribute money to the project in exchange for some very cool exclusive swag, and of course, copies of the comic once it is published.

The link to contribute to the project is here and we sincerely encourage folks to check it out and back this project if they are able. It’s not simply a donation; in most cases you get way more cool stuff back than the monetary amount you are actually contributing. It’s a way to invest in and be part of something awesome, while also getting some cool thank-you gifts as a return on your funds.

The Vegan Police Contributor Jennai sat down with Matt Miner to discuss the Liberator project.

VP: Can you first set us up by explaining what the Liberator project/kickstarter is about and what it is you are trying to make happen with this project?

MM: Liberator is a comic book mini series that features a pair of dark, gritty antiheroes who, instead of murdering crack dealers or stopping interplanetary war, are waging a fiery but nonviolent war on animal abusers.

We have a publisher who sees the value in putting animal friendly role models out to mass market comic readers, but we still need to pay the artists ourselves (which is normal for creator-owned comics like ours) so we launched this Kickstarter. The way Kickstarter works, we don’t get a dime of it unless 100% of the funding goal is reached – we’re really close, but need a few more pledges to make it happen.

We’ve come so far and it would seriously suck to fail because of something as stupid as money. A pledge to the project isn’t a donation, it’s more of a pre-order where you also get other awesome rewards – you can score you some seriously nice exclusive and cool swag, so I urge folks to check it out.

VP: Is there a specific part of your creative journey with this project that has been particularly meaningful?

MM: So many, it’s not even funny. I got a chance to study under Scott Snyder, one of the nicest guys and biggest names in comics right now; learning from him was amazing. I’ve found there are a lot more vegan and animal rights supportive comics fans out there than I’d suspected existed and I’ve met and become buddies with some really fabulous creators along the way. The heads of the publisher are all fantastic people and since launching the Kickstarter there’s been a gigantic outpouring of support from comic fans and animal folks. It’s been an enormous amount of work to get where we are but it’s all been worth it.

VP: How has the project been received so far by the community, both in radical/animal rights circles but also the comic book/fandom circles as well?

MM: I expected that the radical animal rights and environmental crowd would get it right away and be onboard and I was right. I’ve spent a lot of my life shouting into a megaphone and, sadly, I’ve seen some friends go to jail for the cause. I knew the AR community would be behind a book that accurately portrays the hell that animals endure and the activists that work to protect them.

What I’m really pleased to find, however, is how many non-vegan, non-animal rights comics readers are really excited for Liberator, too. I’ve made it clear that Liberator won’t lecture the reader and is focused on story and characters first, not on a lesson on animal abuse. I put away my soapbox and focused on what makes good comics: a compelling story, strong characters with relatable real-world personalities and problems, and an art team that takes that sequential storytelling to the next level.

VP: You yourself are well known for your own work in the animal liberation community, can you elaborate at all about your own background in animal rescue and liberation, or some of your other work rescuing animals and/or supporting prisoners in your day-to-day life?

MM: I worked in the aboveground animal rights movement for years – it was when I moved to NYC and found the HLS (Huntingdon Life Sciences, a notoriously cruel animal testing lab) campaign and the loud and confrontational fur demos that I really found my calling. For years I was doing 1 or 2, sometimes 3 to 4 days of demos a week. I even met my wife at a protest outside of Andrew Baker’s (CEO of Huntingdon Life Sciences) house, we were engaged at the national animal rights conference and married at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

Lately we’ve been focused on animal rescue from shelters and abusers. We live in the Rockaways in NY and if you were watching the news around the end of October you know we were hit really hard by Hurricane Sandy. Since the hurricane there have been a lot more animals in need out here because people evacuated and left their animals behind to die or be taken for bait or fighting dogs. It’s really horrible out here and we’re doing what we can but it’s an amazing feeling to rescue an animal and be there every step of the way until they’re placed in a loving forever home.

I’m also a big advocate of political prisoner support. When we see our friends and extended animal rights and environmental family go to prison for protecting animals and the Earth it’s really our duty to support them. I know it sounds intimidating at first to just start writing someone you don’t know, but it’s super easy to send a postcard to get the ball rolling. Just thank them for their sacrifice, tell them to stay strong and keep their chin up and go from there. It gets easier and you’ll end up meeting and becoming friends with some fantastic people.

It means everything to a prisoner to get mail and kind words – plus it’s good karma for you.

VP: Is there something you would like to say to people who may be unsure about the project or your motives/intentions with it?

MM: The project has four main goals. First is to tell a great story that’s entertaining and fun. Second is to bring new people to comics and bring new eyes to animal issues. Third is to portray underground animal liberation activists as the heroes they are, as they’re too often smeared in mainstream media as violent extremists, and worse. Fourth is to help fund the animal rescue we do out here in Rockaway. Any of my personal profits will go back into helping animals out here. I’m not looking to cash in on the AR movement.


VP: Your kickstarter is entering its final days, with your goal so close this project is really feeling like it is within grasp! What would it mean to you to see this through and achieve full funding?

MM: It would be a 10 year dream come true. I’ve wanted this for so long and I’ve really had my nose to the grindstone for Liberator for over a year.

VP: Any future plans you’d care to give us some teasers for–can we expect more creative animal liberation projects from you in the future?

MM: I can tell you I’ve got more Liberator stories than you can shake a stick at. As long people buy them, and we can keep publishing them, I’ll keep writing.

VP: Finally, are there any thank-yous, final words or shout outs you’d like to do at this time regarding this project or any of your other work?

MM: Yes, absolutely!

Thanks to everyone who’s pledged to make Liberator happen so far and thanks to everyone who’s going to pledge after reading this. You folks are the best and we love you – thanks for believing in this project!

Thanks to all the organizations, celebrities, actors and bands who’ve endorsed the project and helped us out with rewards and quotes. Thanks to the folks at the publisher, thanks to my co-creators and the art team, thanks to everyone who’s written articles, shared on Facebook and tweeted about the project. Thanks to my wife for all her help and support while I tried to get Liberator off the ground.

Lastly, the biggest thanks to the brave anonymous underground animal liberationists who inspired the story. The fire in your hearts and your courage to take action is truly the stuff of legend and the animals are better off from your actions.

VP: Thanks so much for the conversation Matt! I really appreciate you taking the time.

The “Liberator” kickstarter is in it’s last 10 days! There is no more time to hesitate if you were going to contribute the clock is ticking. The project is nearly funded, with even more great pledge rewards added recently, so if you haven’t checked back recently we suggest you do. Included already for backers of the project are items from Bad Religion, Propagandhi, Descendents, Arme, Beagle Freedom Project, Outcast Agenda, SHAC, NAALPO, Because We Must, DARTT, Conflict Gypsy and more! The link is here.Thanks again to Matt for the interview and to everyone who has supported this project! We wish you all the success in the world and hope that others will help see this through to completion.

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