After not holding a large gathering in 2022 to focus on local “trial support” as activists faced charges across the country, Direct Action Everywhere (DXE) is resuming its annual Animal Liberation Conference starting this week. The conference is set for June 9 through June 14 in Berkeley, Calif., and all farms, plants, restaurants and food retailers in the area should be on high alert for protests, disruptions, attempts to “rescue” livestock and poultry, and other potential activist activity.

Historically, DXE is known for taking advantage of having a large number of activists in one place for this conference by holding large-scale protests throughout the event. In the past, they’ve targeted various farms in Sonoma County and a poultry processing plant in Livingston. During the farm protests, a small group of activists tends to seek entry to barns to steal (“rescue”) livestock or poultry while a larger group stages a protest on public property with signage, chanting and other methods of attracting attention for their cause (all being broadcasted on social media via livestream). At the processing plant during the 2021 conference, the group attempted to stop operations by blocking entrances while a few activists stole chickens off of a transport truck.

This year’s Animal Liberation Conference will be the first held since DXE’s recent court victories; DXE activists are still awaiting trial for the incidents in Sonoma County, but were recently found not guilty of theft charges from taking chickens in the Livingston plant protest and removing piglets from a pig farm in Utah. DXE is heralding these trial outcomes as victories for what it calls the “Right to Rescue” and the “Animal Bill of Rights,” and will likely be emboldened by them to up the ante during the conference.

The conference program includes sessions titled “How the Right to Rescue Can Change Everything” and “How to Navigate the Criminal Justice System as an Animal Activist” paired with a multi-part workshop on “The Open Rescue Experience,” which seem to hint toward DXE’s plans. The agenda also includes placeholders for planned “actions” at undisclosed locations on June 12, June 13^th and June 14.

If you have operations within a few hours’ drive of Berkeley — or have supply chain partners who do — dedicate a few minutes this week spreading awareness of this event to those who could be impacted, including providing a head’s up to local law enforcement. While I sincerely hope you don’t find yourself a target, it will be time well spent if you do.

Animal rights extremists to convene in California

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