Liberate

For those of you who have been following Bite Back’s Diary of Actions over the last few months, you will have no doubt noticed the many actions bought to you by the good people of the Mexican ALF.

The day after we thought about writing this piece an article appeared on Indymedia UK titled ‘Mexican ALF – History in the Making’, since then other independent media have also carried comments and articles full of admiration for the Mexican ALF and most recently an ALF cell from the UK has dedicated an action to their Mexican comrades. In this global struggle for liberation the actions of others help to inspire and encourage and the Mexican ALF are certainly doing this.

Since they have arrived on the scene there, there thankfully, seems to be no slowing these ALFer’s down. In one of their busiest months, 26th December 2007 to 23rd January 2008, they carried out no less than ten actions, including liberating animals, painting a furrier and planting incendiary devices at multinational fast food corporations. And they have not stopped there.

Despite the big actions and militant communiqués they have reminded us that it is not all about the militant attitude, designer camo and most animals rescued. With rescue of four puppies, a turkey and two doves they have reminded us that ‘every animal is important as we continue the fight’. There is something about their words, their actions and their images that comes across so humble and straight from the heart; feelings that are too often lost in the macho stereotype of the ALF.

‘Ask the Duck’ a recent communiqué from the Mexican ALF:

“It is already known that the Frente de Liberacion Animal (FLA/ALF) has as its objective (in addition to causing economic damages to animal abusers) the rescue and liberation of animals from the clutches of the speciesist murderer. Lamentably the tools that are used by the FLA are illegal by law and by the established order that considers animal liberation activists to be terrorists.

As the Frente de Liberacion Animal Mexico (FLAM) we feel that if to save animals from being mistreated, tortured, persecuted, hunted, imprisoned and murdered is to be a terrorist, then that is what we are and we love it!

Throughout history all the progress of civilization has come from attacks against laws and each liberator has been listed as an illegal; this is why as a militant, clandestine group, we put our freedom at stake to avenge and give freedom to other living beings victimized by the ego-centrism and the degenerated feelings of the human animal influenced by capitalist, neo-liberal globalization.

The sun has already been hidden a thousand times, said the duck, while he watched the cars pass. He watched the people stop and with feelings of pity say: What a pretty imprisoned duck; the sad duck sleeps with no one for company, without knowing what it is to be truly free, waking every morning and looking at the sky, admiring his bird brothers and sisters flying from one side to the other. They stop in the trees and look for food; he listens to them singing happy songs; he dreams that some day freedom will arrive and pining to go from the cage where he is shut away, the body will mend itself from this monotony.

On the night of March 2, while he was sleeping, he heard noises. Some humans dressed in black, with ski masks covering their faces approached. They jumped a gate; the duck quacked saying Free me immediately I don’t want to be here! The humans wrapped him with a blanket, put him in a box and they carried him away.
The duck, watching through the holes in the box, did not know what was passing before his eyes, but surely it was something good, so he wasn’t nervous. Soon the cage was opened and he saw the great sun which he always watched, looking at the rest of his brothers and sisters flying, feeding himself on what they had around them. He saw water in a much greater quantity than the little that he saw before in his dirty plate of food. The environment had a distinct aroma, the air moved his feathers, his legs touched the moist earth and at last he felt free. He fluttered his wings with great force, vigor and happiness and now this duck, hoping to be rescued and released, that had been disappointed by the cowardice of those who shout ‘Animal Liberation’ and do nothing for them, is free at last. Is direct action useless? Ask the duck.
FLAM”