Feature Archives

On December 20, 2006 Jason Robicheau of Harp Seals.org and Sky Valencia of the Vegan Vixens stood at the corner of Bay and Mason Street handing out flyers, t-shirts, stickers stuffed toy seals, and even rocks painted with a Seal face in hopes of urging the community to join them in their Boycott of Canadian Seafood.
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Despite being one of the most popular companion animals in the country, rabbits are among the most exploited. Domestic rabbits — cherished for their playful, gentle natures — are skinned for their fur, blinded to test cosmetics, bred for show, drugged in the name of science, clipped for wool products, pulled out of magicians’ hats, killed in vivisection labs, sold as food for pet snakes, and raised and shipped by breeders motivated only by profit.

The Bay Area premiere of the film "Behind the Mask: The Story Of The People Who Risk Everything To Save Animals" will be shown at the Humanist Hall in Oakland on Saturday, December 16th. "Behind the Mask" explores the history of the animal liberation movement, from its inception to present day. Animal liberation activists have been called the #1 domestic terror threat by the FBI, even though they claim to have never harmed a living being.

While most of America focuses on the turkey they will eat on Thanksgiving, animal rights activists cannot forget the poor conditions millions of turkeys are forced to live in every day. Animal activists do not begrudge the celebration of family and friends on Thanksgiving, partaking in the camaraderie of the day themselves, but they are actively working to improve the living conditions of turkeys and/or to encourage the public to consider more humane animal-free alternatives.

On Friday, November 17th, supporters of local animal advocate Nadia Winstead held rally at 10am in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco. Afterwards, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston found Winstead to be in civil contempt for her refusal to testify before a federal grand jury investigating the animal liberation movement. Judge Illston stayed the enforcement of the contempt order for two weeks to allow Winstead to file the appeal.

During October and November, Bay Area Vegetarians (BAV) distributed vegan food samples and literature, and most recently, vegan recipes and literature. The events are not difficult to organize, volunteers enjoy them, and it gets vegan information into the hands and minds of people who may not have otherwise received this information. From these events to vegan baking classes to demos at area KFC's in support of PETA's Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign, BAV keep themselves busy. BAV is currently looking to expand their volunteer team to do leafleting on a regular basis in the East Bay, San Francisco, and the South Bay.

Update November 13th: The House has passed the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act with little discussion or dissent.

11/12: The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (H.R. 4239) which could stop people from protesting or speaking out about cruelty to animals. While it claims to target violent protests, activists warn it could be used to ban even peaceful protests, letter-writing, or leafleting that make those who profit from the use of animals feel “intimidated” or “harassed,” or if actions result in "loss of profits."