Hundreds March in Petaluma in Support of Animal Liberation

Contact: Cassie King, (510) 507-8075, cassie@directactioneverywhere.com

Animal rights activists march through downtown Petaluma on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Credit: Michelle Del Cueto)

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

May 24, 2025, Petaluma, CA – As seen on Instagram livestream , approximately 200 activists with the animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) marched through downtown Petaluma Saturday afternoon in support of animal liberation and the right to rescue animals from abuse. They began at Penry Park and weaved through downtown including past diners at restaurants along the riverfront. Along the way, they chanted, delivered speeches, and handed out educational information to the public about Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse.

The march featured colorful smoke flares, banners showing animals who have been rescued by DxE activists, and signs reading “Animal Liberation Now!” The march was intended to demonstrate support for the liberation of animals who currently face exploitation at the hands of humans, and to highlight what activists call criminal animal cruelty on commercial animal operations throughout Sonoma County, particularly those operated by Perdue Farms’ California subsidiary Petaluma Poultry. Despite years of documented animal cruelty and reports to local authorities, no enforcement action has been taken. Authorities have, however, prosecuted activists who have documented and reported the violations. In the face of repression, activists say they remain committed to exposing animal cruelty and enacting their legal right to rescue ailing animals.

On Friday morning, DxE activists rescued two injured chickens from a transport truck carrying thousands of chickens to the Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. They shared the footage publicly online.

DxE animal rescuer Zoe Rosenberg, who is facing a felony prosecution for openly rescuing four suffering birds from the Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse in June 2023, spoke at the Animal Liberation March.

“Every day, I envision a future where cows have control over their own bodies and the right to raise their children in peace. Every day, I envision a future where pigs frolic in fields and roll in the mud as they please without fear of human violence, a future where chickens' bodies are not manipulated to fulfill human desire,” said Zoe Rosenberg. "I envision a future where factory farms are empty, simply a reminder of what was and never will be again.”

Zoe’s trial will begin September 15, 2025 in Santa Rosa.

The march is part of the Animal Liberation Conference , a major gathering of animal rights activists organized by DxE. During the ALC, which runs through Tuesday in Santa Rosa and surrounding locations, hundreds of activists will be trained in a wide range of activist skills, including know your rights, protest organizing, emergency animal care, scouting factory farms via drone, and water testing.

Investigators with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) enter farms, slaughterhouses, and other facilities to document abuses and rescue sick and injured animals. DxE’s investigatory work has been featured in The New York Times,WIRED, and Vox . DxE activists have been subjected to FBI raids and felony prosecutions for their investigative work. In 2022, DxE activists won the first-ever acquittal in an open rescue case. Visit DxE on Facebook, Instagram , Twitter and at directactioneverywhere.com.

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