Liberate

This year has seen much change for Animal Rights in Auckland. This article is an attempt to help people understand what has happened and who is doing what in the City of Sails.

For 11 years Auckland Animal Action (AAA) had been the driving force behind much of the Animal Rights activism in Auckland. From the Fur Free Auckland campaign to Tegel director home demos and anti-vivisection storm-ins at the offices of those involved with Huntington Life Sciences there was never a dull moment. On top of demos AAA was also always involved in animal re-homing, research and doing media for the underground.

AAA was born in 1996 when a small group of dedicated activists brought their vision of a vegan-based, grassroots group promoting direct action to life. AAA was the first New Zealand animal rights group to use and promote direct action and civil disobedience. Over the last decade, AAA activists have locked themselves to fur shops, sow crates and to the office desk of a prominent vivisector! These actions have highlighted the plight of animals, bringing their suffering and exploitation into the public arena.

Naturally it was not without problems; AAA always had a ‘weird’ hierarchical organizing structure masquerading itself as being non-hierarchical. Problems with the group and others within the movement were not uncommon and there was also never an opportunity to debrief on things we had done or to learn from mistakes that had been made etc…..

Following the death of Suzy early this year these failing of AAA came very close to the surface and it became clear the time had come for AAA to stand aside and help new initiatives, ideas and activists to grow. This was not easy for those involved in making this decision we had all given so much of ourselves to AAA and it was a weird decision to make without Suzy but it was the right one.

Following a few quiet months things are starting to get themselves on track and the future is looking good.

Auckland Animal Rights Collective was formed and is carrying on the Fur Free Auckland campaign AAA started many years ago. This collective are approaching the campaign with a fresh attitude and so far have had great success with all stores they have approached about removing their fur. On top of the fur campaign they have a few other ideas up their sleeves which we will no doubt be finding out about soon.

Animal Liberation Aotearoa has also been formed. ALA will focus on filling some of the gaps left by AAA; these include a good information based website that is currently missing from Aotearoa, doing media for the underground (if we are contacted) and actively engaging in animal re-homing. Furthermore we aim to start some new projects such as taking activists on Farm Tours (see page 5 and page 37), providing workshops for activists and the public alike that focus on liberation rather than rights or welfare.

Also in Auckland there is Meat Free Media, S.A.F.E and Open Rescue. For their contact details please see Behind the Barricades on page 56.