By the time you’re reading this on Tuesday, a major animal rights protest is likely to be underway somewhere in California. I’d suggest popping over to Direct Action Everywhere’s Facebook page to see if your company or farm is the one being targeted.

DXE’s “Animal Liberation Conference,” which kicked off last Wednesday, wraps up today with what the agenda describes as a “historic action” that will help attendees “gain the inspiration and skills we need to return home to our communities as the best activists we can be.”

Thus far, the conferences has included panel discussions and workshops on “disruptive civil disobedience tactics,” “how you can capitalize off arrests and legal repression” and “how to organize and marshal a successful protest.”

Attendees have also staged “Cube of Truth” demonstrations, held funerals for farm animals and marched through the streets of San Francisco, culminating in a DXE activist disrupting presidential candidate and California Senator Kamala Harris as she spoke at a candidate forum. That last stunt got DXE lots of the attention it so desperately craves, but most of it was far from positive.

You may recall last year’s ALC, which concluded in a “mass open rescue.” On May 29, 2018, a group of 500 animal rights extremists from the ALC descended upon a California egg farm, stealing more than 35 hens. After law enforcement got involved, around 40 activists were arrested. DXE is very likely to up the ante this year, and it won’t stop with this conference.

Farms and plants across the country should brace themselves for copycat protests from ALC attendees who find themselves “inspired.” I recommend:

Reviewing your security procedures, including sending notice to all family members, employees and neighbors about the potential for activist activity
Implementing or refreshing visitor procedures (including requiring check-in and verification of identity)
Making yourself a harder target (cameras, fences, locks, motion-sensor lighting
Proactively connecting with law enforcement to discuss the threat
And regularly monitoring your potential to be targeted (social media conversations, increase in calls for information or employment applications, etc.).

As always, the Animal Ag Alliance is happy to provide you with security recommendations and updates on activist tactics at any time – just let us know how we can help you protect your business.

Beware - extreme activists gather in Berkeley

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