In what has been dubbed their 'last ever action', Animal Rebellion "peacefully blocked" supermarket aisles in a series of coordinated 'actions' across the country on Good Friday (April 7). The group targeted supermarkets in a number of cities, including Bristol, London, Birmingham and Leeds, ahead of a 'major announcement' on Monday (April 10).
During the action, groups of Animal Rebellion supporters could be seen holding mock editions of the Mail on Sunday newspapers, with headlines such as "Nation of Animal Lovers Eat Baby Sheep in Odd Annual Easter Ritual", said to be a loose reference of the publication's front page on April 2. The group says that this is the end of its chapter as 'Animal Rebellion', with a new name and direction set to 'emerge' on Monday.
This will be ahead of a summer 'action' which "aims to begin the conversation about our broken relationship with other animals and nature" and the announcement on Monday will coincide with the week of The Grand National. The group is expected to "call on animal lovers to meet outside Aintree racecourse" at 9:30am on April 15.
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Beau King Houston, Animal Rebellion volunteer, said: “Easter is a time when we all celebrate moving from the darkness of winter into the light of spring and summer. Yet how can we do this whilst countless animals are killed for our meals this Sunday?
"We urgently need to really consider if our actions are aligned with our values in a country that calls itself animal lovers, whilst over a billion of them die for food each year. Today sees the end of Animal Rebellion, but on Monday, something new will emerge.
"Beginning with the Grand National, hundreds of animal lovers will be taking action throughout this summer in order to create an urgent discussion about how we fix our broken relationship with other animals and the natural world.”
Claudia Penna Rojas, spokesperson for the group, said: “Many of the lambs that will have been killed for Easter meals this year will have been only 10 weeks old. These beautiful animals would live for 12 years or more naturally, but our food system makes this impossible.
"If we transitioned to a plant-based food system and rewilded the leftover land, we would create beautiful habitats for these animals to live out their lives in peace. We can create a world where we no longer use animals for food or fun.
"A world where we live in harmony with other animals and the natural world is not only possible but is the key solution to the climate and ecological crises.”
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