Animal Rights Extremist Connections and Tactics Updated in New Reports
Do you know what the Top 5 targeted states are for animal rights activists? The answer may surprise you. California, New York, Illinois, Texas and Washington are the most targeted states. The U.S. is the second most targeted country behind the United Kingdom.
This kind of information and more are part of two new reports released from the Animal Agriculture Alliance detail the interconnectedness of the animal rights movement, as well as tactics targeting animal agriculture. The Animal Rights Extremist Web exemplifies how animal rights groups are strategically connected in many ways, including personnel and financial support. The Radical Vegan Activism in 2022 report highlights efforts to attack animal agriculture and the true intentions of these organizations with quotes from leadership.
“No matter the animal rights extremist group or the tactics used, they all share the same goal of eliminating animal agriculture and taking meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, and seafood off of our grocery store shelves and family tables,” says Abby Kornegay, manager, issues and engagement, Animal Agriculture Alliance. “These reports succinctly detail those true intentions, the strategic efforts of the animal rights movement to further their agenda, and key tactics for the animal agriculture community to be aware of.”
Nearly one-third of animal rights extremist attacks documented in 2022 targeted farmers and food workers, putting them and animals in danger. Documented direct actions to animal agriculture include:
• 95 vandalism incidents
• 70 stolen animals
• 60 criminal trespasses
• 10 arson cases
• 9 harassment and intimidation incidents
“Extremists are getting ever bolder in their efforts against animal agriculture, and direct actions at the farm, processing facility, and retail store continue to rise,” Kornegay says in a release. “Farmers, processors, and the entire food supply chain are encouraged to implement security measures that protect against potential threats.”
In addition to demanding change through direct actions, animal rights groups are also attempting to force change through fundraising efforts which help fund their various efforts and campaigns, Kornegay explains. The major animal rights extremist groups included on the Animal Rights Extremist Web are major fundraisers and bring in more than $800 million in income annually. Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) saw a dramatic increase in revenue between their previous fiscal year and current. In PETA’s 2021 tax filing, total revenue equaled $68 million and according to its website, 2022 revenue equals $82 million, a nearly $14 million increase, the release says.
Several updates were made to the Animal Rights Extremist Web including several new groups for the farm and food community to be aware of, including The Accountability Board and the Organization for Competitive Markets. The Accountability Board, which fronts itself as a non-radical group and invests in over 100 of the largest publicly traded companies to force environmental and animal welfare change, is led by former Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) employees Josh Balk and Matthew Prescott, the release says. The Organization for Competitive Markets, which seeks to “enforce” rules within the agriculture community, was added to the web due to Marty Irby’s involvement as a board member. Irby is also a former employee of HSUS with close ties to its former president and CEO Wayne Pacelle. Sentient Media, Animal Partisan, and Farm Action were also added to the web.
For more information about the Alliance’s work to monitor animal rights extremism, or to view the reports, visit animalagalliance.org/initiatives/monitoring-activism.
