The conference advocates for a movement of resistance that is multi-layered, unified, diverse and intersectional. Previously, the organizers of this conference have helped to organize the Let Live and Law and Disorder Conferences in Portland, Oregon as well as the Portland Anarchist Bookfair. There will be speakers, panels, and workshops occurring all three days.

Resistance Ecology is about movement building. It is about cultivating an ecology of resistance that can adapt to the circumstances of domination. For us, this work begins with scrutinizing the state of the animal liberation and radical ecology movements of North America by addressing previous shortcomings and providing remedies. The most novel way that we can achieve this is by creating a movement-wide discourse that is accessible to everyone involved.

Please let us know if you will need help securing lodging or need any special requests met while at the conference; allergy needs, childcare etc.

History of the Anti-Vivisection Movement with Josh Harper from Burning Hearts Media on Vimeo.

Watch as Josh Harper gives a history lesson on the global anti-vivisection movement! This event was brought to you by Portland Animal Liberation for World Week for Animals in Labs 2013. Filmed by Burning Hearts Media. Feel free to share.

Hey friends. As you know, I have become insanely busy with video work the past year. Because of this, I started a new project, Burning Hearts Media. For the past year, I have been slowly phasing out Because We Must. The BWM site will stay up as a resource, and I will continue to design and put out merch, but all my efforts from here on out will be going towards creating awesome videos for both clients, and other social justice related groups. Please check out the site! Feel free to LIKE Burning Hearts Media on facebook too!

Farm workers pick all of our food and are victims of an unjust system that benefits corporations over workers, profit over people, and greed over families. These workers strive to get by on very little income, and parents and grandparents often cannot afford to buy their children the school supplies they need.

While F.E.P. works in other ways to challenge this system, we want to do our best to give farm workers the support they deserve.

Below is a list of the school supplies that are needed:

• school backpacks (in great demand)
• notebooks
• pencils
• pens
• erasers (rectangular)
• rulers
• binders (pocket portfolio folders)
• lined paper
• 3-ring binders
• pencil pouch for binders
• markers or crayons
• highlighters
• index flash cards
• pencil sharpener with container to collect pencil shavings

Drop off locations:

• Berkeley
• Marin County
• Palo Alto
• San Francisco
• San Jose
• Sonoma County

Please email us at info(at)foodispower.org to get the address of where to drop them off.

We will be giving the supplies to The Center for Farmworker Families to distribute to the children of farm workers in the Salinas and Watsonville areas.

In 2011, we donated clothes and some school supplies.

If possible, please buy non-toxic supplies*.

Thank you for your support of families who work so hard helping to put the food on our tables.

*Please note, although Food Empowerment Project is referring to the work of another organization, we do not necessarily endorse the entire content of their website or mission.

The following is taken from Further Faster Forever

The staff of Further Faster Forever value a lot of things, but the heart and soul of our organization is the idea of building a global community of endurance athletes who inspire and challenge one another. People coming together around a common love: whether it is running, cycling, swimming or a combination of all three, FurtherFasterForever is a group of people around the globe whom inspire and challenge us everyday.

None of this would exist if it wasn’t for Aaron Edge.

While riding 100 mile centuries in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Aaron used to scribble Further Faster Forever on his handle bars to remind himself that he could go that extra mile. Little did Aaron know that one day that mantra would start a global movement to motivate and inspire athletes to go beyond their limits. Aaron, a print designer who now lives in Portland, not only created the mantra but designed the logo that has adorned thousands upon thousands of pictures on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.

The last few weeks we haven’t featured an athlete of the week because we wanted to dedicate a period of time to share Aaron’s story with all of you. This past week we had the chance to really get to know the man behind the hash tag.

We know you coined the hash tag #furtherfasterforever mantra, but when did you start riding/running?

I started cycling in Seattle in 2007, first on fixed gear bicycles and eventually road bikes. Cycling was the first healthy thing I had done in my adult life. I spent a lot of my time before that in vans, playing in or working for bands on tour around the country… which is not the healthiest of lifestyles. Playing music on the road took a back seat (er, saddle) and traveling the roads on a two-wheeled device took a priority in my life. I found such peace in my time away from work, troubles, etc. while hunched over a bicycle. Fast-forward to April of 2010: I had grown so tired of the Northwest rain, and it had never bothered me until I started cycling. One morning, I shouldered my bicycle and headed out the door, only to come right back up the stairs in disappointment… the rain had destroyed my spirit. So I changed out of my kit, pulled on some running shoes and head back out into the rain to go for a run. Mind you, I had not done any running since my track and field days of middle school. I figured that running couldn’t be that tough for me, I mean, I was riding well over a hundred miles a week at that time and in great shape. I was dead wrong about it not being a tough transition. As we all know, running and cycling are very different, one fluid and one full impact. I couldn’t run a single mile without terrible knee pain. I returned to my apartment, defeated.

Looks like you didn’t give up?

Well, I am an “all of nothing personality”, always have been. I didn’t give up on running, and by July of that same year, only three months later, I ran my first 20-miler. It was such an accomplishment, and I stuck with it. It was rare that I ran less than 10-13 miles at a time. And the rain didn’t bother me ever again. I’d just look out my apartment window and let the weather make choices for me. If it was clear out, I’d ride. If raining, I’d run. Some days I’d do both. It was amazing to have a choice and to let nature chose for me. I learned to love the rain again, really love it.

At the end of 2012 you started experiencing pain in your hands, tell us more about that?

While living in Los Angeles (2011-2012), I began having tingling sensations in my body after long 70+ mile rides along the PCH. I chalked it up to normal wear on the body after such mileage. I got a new bike fitting and wrote it off. A few months later, I started having the most terrible random pains in two of my fingers. After speaking with my Mother (who has arthritis in her hands), I prepared myself, without a proper diagnosis, for a life of arthritis pain. I was bummed, but it made sense. I wrote that off as well.

The pain spread from your hands throughout your body, correct?

Yes. My wife and I moved back to the Northwest (Portland, Oregon) last November 1st. We hadn’t felt like Los Angeles was home, we gave that place two years and packed up everything, and though I loved my job there, I missed the culture of my Northern home. I missed seasons. I missed everything about life up in the Northwest. As soon as I started riding and running in Oregon, I had pin/needling in my hands and feet. Since I had not time acclimating to the temperature changes (LA to NW), I figured that my limbs and digits were just cold. I mean, I was riding in 70-90 degree temperatures in Southern California in October and then 30 degree temperatures in Portland a few days later. I busted out my serious winter gear but it wasn’t enough. My new riding partners were confused by my symptoms as well. My pals weren’t that cold or feeling the pain, we all just thought I had lost some toughness and needed time to acclimate. Once again, I wrote it off and kept riding and running with pain.

When did you know that there was really something wrong?

On January 5th of 2013, I woke to the pain and it has not left me yet (even to the day of this interview). My hands and feet feel as if they are asleep and crushed under heavy weight every minute of every day/night. I knew then that something was terribly wrong. I could no longer shift my gears on the bike, could not gold drum sticks while playing in my wife’s band, could not do dishes or other chores around the house, could not operate a mouse or keyboard, I could not feel any kind of change in terrain while running… terrible pain and total lack of control. The “zing” and aches grew to my chest and back. Life had changed and I was really considering terrible options in my mind, I became more depressed with every hour of pain. I stopped running, riding, hiking. The stress, of course, was making it all so much worse.

We know you visited a lot of doctors that didn’t help much.

I was tested for everything: vitamin deficiency, lead and lime poisoning, arthritis, heart conditions. The first doctor saw nothing wrong. The second doctor suggested that I get MRIs. I couldn’t believe it. Who had I become? I only got sick once a year, maybe a cold when the season changes, never have health issues, never in hospitals… not ever. The only sprains, scrapes of any kind were from battling cars in traffic while riding my bicycle. And now, something terrible was happening. Some new monster.

Who diagnosed you with MS?

Finally, I met up with a neurologist, the third person to see me. He checked my scans and ordered a lumbar puncture (spinal tap). The procedure had me in bed for nine days with a headache and back ache. My results from the spinal tap, along with the viewing of spots in my brain and spine via MRIs, was all the neurologist needed to diagnose me with Multiple Sclerosis on March 6th of 2013.

We can’t imagine how you felt when you were diagnosed with MS.

I felt and still feel absolutely crushed. I went from being the healthiest person (of my age) that I knew, to the unhealthiest person (of ANY age) that I knew. Life was on hold. I was seriously depressed and with many dark thoughts. I shut out friends and family, even my wife at times. I was unproductive, not creative, unable to work, in pain and served (in my mind) a death sentence. Frozen, like the winter outside my very door.

How important has the support of your family, wife, friends been during this process?

Because I shut my family and friends out, I didn’t let them support me at first. I was too confused and aggressively angry at my own body for letting me down. My only lifeline was my wife, bless her heart. She has stuck with me, at my worst. I will say this: without my wife by my side, I certainly (and without question), would have crawled up into the woods and blown my own head off. It’s been that bad.

That’s so intense. What roll has the Further Faster Forever community had in this process?

Eventually, I let my family and friends in. BUT, during this whole experience, the most supportive people, aside from my wife, has been runners and cyclists in the F3 community (folks I have never met in person). Amazing people (who know who they are and need no shootouts), who have dedicated extra miles in my name. That’s crazy. That’s unheard-of. I have received well-wishing texts, emails and care packages from total strangers. Strangers that, even if they know no illness themselves, have been so sympathetic to my suffering. And, sadly, there are some who suffer themselves and they are empathetic. Both types of strangers, so helpful in my mood-altering. The support from the F3 community reminded me that there are selfless people around the globe who care for other humans that share a similar goal. That goal is betterment, be it health or mood or otherwise. My wife kept me alive, straight up. F3 folks kept me in their hearts. I can’t thank everyone enough, that of course now includes my family and friends too. I am still quite negative and devastated about all of this, but knowing that people care about me does make it so much easier.

Are there cures, medications, treatments etc that you will be going through/on?

There is no cure. Looks like I have my choice of/between three different meds that aim at decreasing future attacks (up to only 30%), each one is a self-administered shot… the most promising and popular is an every day needle poke for the rest of my life. That’s pretty lame. But, everything is pretty lame right now. My new MS-specific doctor, who I haven’t met yet, will walk me through some other meds to aid in sleep, of which I get very little and in small increments. I will also be swallowing a pill three times a day to combat my constant pin/needling in my hands and feet, which is caused by confused/exposed nerves. Once pain is under control, I will hopefully get back to cycling, running, drumming, working, and everything else we take for granted (like buttoning pants or a shirt, helping do dishes and even holding my own dinner plate while eating).

You recently moved to Portland from Southern California and have yet to find full time employment as a print designer. With all the medical bills piling up, how have you handled the stress of not being able to run/ride?

I’m still freelance designing for clients and that brings in some dough, so, no full-time job was not an issue until all the bills started piling up. Now, of course, it’s an issue. And, because of the disease, I will be on meds and paying bills like this the rest of my life. That’s a tough pill to swallow (no pun). As far as not riding and running goes, well, I’m starting over again. Back to square one. I have the need and lust for cardio, but for a while it’ll be quenched in much smaller increments. I used to run two half marys a week and ride up to a hundred miles a week. That’s gonna’ be different now and I don’t expect to ever be up to that kind of mileage again. I’m realistic on that front. That said, if I do reach that level or somehow surpass my old accomplishments… well, all the better.

We are excited to announce the production of the limited edition F3 shirt that you designed to raise funds for your medical bills. How else can the F3 community help support you? A donation perhaps?

First of all, thank you for even considering something like this. Even if $5 dollars comes my way from the sale of these shirts, that’s an incredible help. As well as any  additional help via donation, I must say this… if you really want to help me out, purchase a shirt. There are a few reasons:

1. The shirt has a positive message that other people should see.
2. The shirt supports and pushes the F3 team/movement/brand even further (ok … pun) and THAT is a big deal to me. I am so happy to see people supporting this whole thing that a few of us got together and started. Every new #furtherfasterforever hash tag promotes healthy living. Positive living.

Wear the shirt proudly, keep it as a banner knowing that you are representing one of the most amazing groups of people on the planet. People, who as I’ve said above, are willing to help each other out with support. With care. Because, after all, we all post photos with a hash tag to connect ourselves to others. Otherwise, it would just be for ourselves. We all love to be appreciated and pushed by our peers…even if we have never met them in person. I used to scribble the slogan/manta “Further Faster Forever” on my bicycle handlebars before F3 was started. And while in pain, suffering or faced with a most difficult climb, reading it and mumbling it though parched lips helped remind me that life is a journey and ya can’t go back. You can only go forward. As any cyclist will agree, it might as well be faster.

“It has appeared to me that you can create some sort of “solidarity” by contacting the people on the internet. Thats pretty cool, right? The real solidarity comes from the direct contact with people. The main reason that I am here today is to make contact with you. Make you see what has happened in my city. And make you see that you can help us with any kind of support. Making these real bonds and real connections is the most important thing to me to show you today.”

Discussion on “The perceptions of narco violence in Monterrey: different visions , one issue” by Carlos Zarazua of Monterrey, Mexico. Filmed at New Direction Fest 2012. Olympia, Wa.

How do we shut down a multinational corporation?

500 animals per day die in the labs of Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), one of the largest contract testing companies in the world. Beagles, primates, rabbits, mice, rats, cats and other species are burned, cut open, or injected with poisons all while alive to ensure products like Viagra and diet pills will make it to the shelves of stores around the world; as well as GMO crops, pesticides, fertilizers and house hold cleaners. A small handful of dedicated activists started a campaign that nearly brought the giant to its knees as over 500 companies quit doing business with HLS, including their insurance company. Activists also managed to get HLS dropped from the New York Stock Exchange, eventually stopping their stocks from being publicly traded altogether. 

Jake Conroy was one of the activists involved in Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty campaign (SHAC) in the USA, helping to run the website, and lead demos. For this, Jake was sentenced to 4 years in jail.  

PE: How did you get involved with animal activism, and more specially the SHAC campaign?

JAKE: I’ve always had strong feelings for the underdog throughout my life. It didn’t really occur to me until I was 19 that some of the biggest underdogs in the world were non-human animals. I had spent a long time thinking about the issues and reading books and pamphlets I picked up at hardcore/punk shows, and watching videos wherever I could find them (which actually was pretty hard to do in a pre-YouTube era). But I was somewhat on the fence about making that leap to get involved.

I was living in Seattle at the time, walking downtown to school, when I passed some folks protesting against the circus as they paraded the elephants for miles through the city. I passed them and didn’t say a word but it sat heavily in my mind that I should. So I turned around and walked back and asked what they were doing and who they were and how I could get in touch with them. They simply replied, “We’re in the Yellow Pages”. Sure enough, under Animal Rights, there was one listing – The Northwest Animal Rights Network. I called the number and listened to the info about the upcoming circus protests, and I went down that weekend by myself to join in.

The next 5 years I would participate in civil disobediences, run successful campaigns to close fur salons, help transform Seattle into one of the most animal-friendly cities in the country, and be arrested (with my current co-defendant Josh Harper) for engaging in the first whale hunt sabotage in US coastal waters by piloting a boat between whales and hunters.

In 2001 I had been working locally on the anti-HLS campaign in the Seattle area, when I got a call from a friend asking if I wanted to move out east for a few months to help start the office for this group, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA. I had nothing else to do, so I packed up my belongings, put them in storage, and headed out to Philadelphia. I became so excited and inspired by our first 3 months that I never went back. I would spend the next 5 years helping run one of the most exciting campaigns of my life.

PE: What can people learn from SHAC, and from the repression you faced?

JAKE: I think the most important thing people can learn is that their activism needs to be strategic, smart, and creative, while being thoughtful, careful, and calculated. We shouldn’t rush in head first because that’s the way it’s always been done; rather prepare for all outcomes, be ready to accept them, and not fear them. We need to realize that we are under a microscope, so our actions need to be significant and have a focus on duration and long term strategy.

PE: What do you think made SHAC so successful?

JAKE: Bobby Seale, the co-founder of the Black Panther Party, once said that in order to be successful you have to capture the imagination of the people, and the anti-Huntingdon Life Sciences campaign and SHAC USA did just that. It began in North America at a time when national welfare organizations started to dangle paychecks in front of grassroots organizers, when they began shifting the debate away from liberation to welfarism, and when they made you feel like you were doing your part by voting every couple of years and sending in your donations to cover their expanding paychecks. They were disenfranchising the animal rights movement and getting folks to fall into line. But deep inside, we all wanted more. 

SHAC USA sprang into action quickly and furiously. It said loudly and proudly that we weren’t going to sit back and accept bigger cages, and we were going to hold everyone and anyone accountable for their actions and support of animal cruelty, no matter when or where. We were happy to push the envelope and support radical ideas and tactics when others wouldn’t. We believed in people power, horizontal and autonomous organizing, and supporting and using every tool in the toolbox to enact change. Within months, we managed to gain victories as an all-volunteer organization of 4 where huge national organizations couldn’t. We captured the hearts and minds of activist communities and the general public, and we were off and running, bulldozing anyone that got in our way.

JAKE: There are so many atrocities perpetrated against the earth, and the animals, both human and non-human, that live on it. It’s very easy to fall into a pattern of trying to save the entire planet all at once. But we need to be strategic about our campaigns and smart about how we go about them. There had been a campaign against HLS since the late 80’s, with some amazing actions, but it just wasn’t getting the job done. But the late 90s saw a perfect storm of sorts in England. Activists had closed Consort Beagle Breeder, Hillgrove Cat Farm, Regal Rabbits and they were closing in on Shamrock Primate Farm and Newchurch Guinea Pig Farm. Energy was extremely high and victories were coming in swiftly. Meanwhile, Huntingdon had two undercover investigations released against them in the UK and the US, and it had almost bankrupt them. They were a huge target, teetering on the brink of foreclosure, and they needed a firm kick to push them over the edge. It would be a gamble, but it was part of a larger overall campaign strategy that was proving to be successful. HLS is the third largest contract research organization in the world and they were on the brink of being brought to their knees by grassroots activists. The time was just right.

PE: Do you still think that the SHAC Campaign can succeed at this point? What is the relevance of the campaign today?

JAKE: Martin Luther King Jr said that the arc of the universe is long and bends towards justice. And to add a footnote by Becky Tarbotton, “sometimes we don’t see it bend, sometimes it feels like it flattening out. And other times we can see that arc perceptively bending towards justice.” We didn’t close down Huntingdon Life Sciences according to our timeline, but I still believe the campaign can and will be successful. It’s suffered some major blows to it’s infrastructure, but like all good things, it keeps moving forward, it continues to bend towards justice. People are still active all over the world in the quest to shut it down for good and HLS is still financially hemorrhaging.

I think the relevance of the campaign is that it represents the tenacity, passion, and drive we as a global movement has to see justice served, no matter how long that might take. The tactics the SHAC campaign used were innovative and powerful, and they continue to be replicated by a broad spectrum of movements around the world to fight back. That alone is a testament to the relevance of the campaign and how successful it was and continues to be, regardless of the outcome of our explicit goals.

PE: How can activists today become more effective?

JAKE: Effectiveness and success is going to come by studying our collective histories, working hard and being creative today, while keeping long term future strategies in mind.

As activists today we have a unique opportunity to still talk to and learn from some of the greatest revolutionaries of decades past. These folks are still involved decades later and they want to sit with you, to have you learn from their mistakes, and understand their successes. We need to take advantage of these opportunities any chance we get before it’s too late.

We need to recognize that we are living in one of the most oppressive times to be an activist. Our targets wield more power than ever before and are getting away with using every tool in the toolbox to silence and imprison us. We need to take their lead and fight back in kind. We as activists need to realize that perhaps our old ways and tactics aren’t going to work anymore and we need to start thinking outside the box; to be more creative and look for other ways around the blockades before us in order to reach our desired goal.

Finally, we need to be smart. We can no longer rush in head down, into brick walls. We need to pick our heads up and look forward and see how we can strategically plan not just for this year but the next generation. We need to look deeper and with more thoughtfulness into how we are making change and how we can make it lasting.

PE: Are you still involved with animal activism now that you are out of prison?

JAKE: I’m involved with animal activism as much as I can be. I am currently finishing my third year of probation (out of 3), which puts restrictive conditions on you and your actions. Your whereabouts, employment status and financial records are all monitored by the federal government. I have a list of 30 or so rules, some very specific, some very broad, that I am required to live by. If I violate any of these rules, the probation office has the right to yank me off of probation and put me back in prison. So while they can be lax about certain things, getting in trouble doing animal activism is a sure way to end back in prison.

However, I still do as much animal activism, prisoner support, and outreach that I can. I am also employed by a non-profit environmental organization that uses non-violent direct action and pressure campaigns against global corporate targets to affect change. In a sense it’s much like SHAC, minus the radical aggressiveness that landed us in prison.

PE: If we truly want to be effective in our activism, it seems like in today’s atmosphere we should get prepared for the very real possibility of prison. Do you have any advice on how to prepare or was there anything that helped you get trough it?

JAKE: While I think activists today need to be very aware of the repression going on around the globe and learn how they can fight back, I wouldn’t say that prison is a very real possibility for a large majority of us. In the grand scheme of things, very few of us have actually been imprisoned for the amount of actions and campaigns that have been going on. Unfortunately, while the number of folks in prison right now is rising, it doesn’t mean that we all are going to end up there some day.

The SHAC7 case was a perfect example of that. Thousands of people in North America alone participated in the campaign in their own way and it came down to a half dozen of us in court. The odds are in your favor.

If you are in the small minority of people facing prison time, I would highly suggest turning to those who have been or are currently incarcerated, for advice and counsel. Prison is a place like no other; nothing can possibly compare to it. It’s a place filled with bizarre rules and expectations and nothing can really prepare you for it outside of the experience of others. I spent a lot of time leading up to my incarceration writing friends that were serving time as political prisoners, asking them every thing I could possibly think of. We would write tomes back and forth. But ultimately nothing can fully prepare you for the experience.

Ultimately, prison is a dark and lonely and depressing place. And one of the few things that can put a smile on an inmate’s face is a letter. It is what makes the experience survivable. So I would encourage everyone to look through the lists of political prisoners and find a couple that resonate with you, and write them. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy diatribe on your political beliefs (its better that it’s not), rather, write them about your day, the last back packing trip you took, the last meal you made. Send a photo or a postcard. Anything will brighten their day. Take the time to foster a relationship with them and help them get through their experience. What may seem like an insignificant 20 minutes to you writing a letter, it can be a total life saver when on the receiving end while in prison.

PE: How much dose having a terrorist enhancement effect your life? And how do you feel about being considered a terrorist in the eyes of the government?

JAKE: Just to be clear, none of the SHAC 7 received a terrorist enhancement during sentencing. We were, however, classified by the Bureau of Prisons as domestic terrorists. This meant that during our stay in prison and our time on probation (and I’m sure afterwards), that label followed us around wherever we went. In prison, for me, that meant all of my phone calls were monitored and recorded, all of my incoming and outgoing mail was opened, read, and photocopied if they desired, and my ability to have my friends come visit me was drastically reduced. It also meant that I was put onto a ‘high visibility inmate’ watch list inside of the prison. I was one of 10 to 15 inmates that the administration said posed the biggest security threat to the institution, in a population of around 1300 inmates incarcerated for murder, rape, bank robbery, high-level gang activity, etc..

PE: Could you please recap what the charges against you were, and what you were accused of doing?

JAKE: Kevin Kjonaas, Lauren Gazolla and I were found guilty of 6 charges based on our direct involvement and so-called “leadership” roles with SHAC USA. They were one count of conspiracy to violate the 1934 Telecommunications Harrassment Act, one count of conspiracy to violate the Animal Enterprise Protection Act (now called the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act), one count of conspiring to commit interstate stalking, and 3 counts of interstate stalking.

Essentially we were found guilty of running a webpage that advertised and editorialized events, actions, and strategy; that published write-ups of those events and actions after the fact (much like an online newspaper); that shared ideas, and supported the thinking of controversial ideologies. By doing all of this online, we crossed state lines to enter into a conspiracy with essentially anyone who had ever used the internet. By simply publishing and editorializing ideas and actions, we were encouraging anyone who accessed our webpage to go out and do the same things.

It was a far-fetched (yet successful) attempt at criminalizing controversial, yet legal, forms of demonstrations, supporting radical and controversial ideologies like non-violent direct action, and the sharing of ideas.

PE: Can you talk about the role music & subcultures can play in Animal Liberation and other activism?

JAKE: Subcultures and music has played a very influential role in grassroots and radical movements. The first time I was introduced to the idea of black power and the Black Panther Movement was after buying the album Fight The Power by Public Enemy when I was in junior high. As a white, suburban kid growing up in New England, those radical ideas didn’t make it into our classrooms. Soon after I would be introduced to hardcore and punk rock, which would open the doors to a do-it-yourself subculture, the straightedge philosophy, and veganism. Bands, ‘zines, and literature acquired at record stores and shows filled my imagination and passion with big ideas about grassroots organizing and direct action; the idea that we didn’t need large organizations and governments to enact the change we wanted to see in the world. That change was something we could bring about on our own and on our own terms. This idea wasn’t just mine – this self-empowerment and introduction to direct action through music communities was shared by 5 of the 6 individuals in the SHAC7 case, and direct action legends like Rod Coronado and Keith Mann. It introduced a whole generation of young people in the mid 90’s to veganism, activism, and direct action, that would eventually shape the entire animal rights movement.

Jake Conroy is available to speak at public events and will be speaking at Camas Books in Victoria BC (Via skype) Feb 16. To contact Jake about speaking in your community go to http://aidandabet.org/roster/from-activist-to-terrorist/

To learn about the ongoing campaign to shut down HLS  today check out the SHAC website (includes videos, lists of companies doing business with HLS, and other campaign materials)

http://shac.net/

To learn more about the repression of activism and the SHAC 7

http://www.greenisthenewred.com/

http://www.shac7.com/

Across the world people were outraged, and even mainstream publications in England ran articles with headlines proclaiming Jill a martyr- but to think of her in that light is an over simplification. Jill was the smiling face at street stalls who introduced many people to the concept of animals rights, a second generation militant in a family of deeply committed liberationists, a participant in raids that caused economic damage to those who harmed non-humans, and a mother who stood trial for ALF activity while she was still pregnant. By all accounts she was a sincere, friendly, and inspiring person whose willingness to sacrifice for the oppressed knew no bounds. If we are ever to bring about Jill’s dream of a world free from speciesism we must all aspire to emulate her level of commitment, passion, and caring.

Every year on the first day of February animal rights activists all over the world remember Jill, but remembering is not enough. A faithful tribute to our fallen comrade requires action, and we ask that our readers dedicate their activism and resistance this month to Jill Phipps.” -Conflict Gypsy

Hey PNW/West Coast, we need some help! We are trying to rehome our friend Cris/Grendel. Cris was rescued from the Galapagos and brought to the U.S. Here is some more info about him from his current caretaker, Allison.

“Cris Grendel Bachelor was poorly owned by the mayor of San Cristobal Galapagos. He quickly became the mascot of our campaign, following us everywhere. I asked the mayor if he wanted Cris and he said “no” … the rest is history. Cris was starving when we hooked up. He would have killed thousands of indigenous animals had we not swooped him up. Conservation is key to Galapagos Preservation Society

Cris is a great dog! He has but one problem, he kills wildlife. He is kind to puppies and girl dogs. He has a bit of an attitude when meeting boy dogs but quickly befriends them. He loves the great outdoors and would run and play all day if you allow him too. He sleeps on the bed with me at night. He loves to cuddle. He will sleep-in as well, if you do.

Unlike me he loves people. He really bonds with men.

He wants to be anywhere and everywhere his master is at. I think his separation anxiety has subsided. I have a doggie door for him to go in and out of all day. He does not tear up anything and would love to have a girl doggie to hang with. He shares his food. He is patient. He rides well in the car.

I can bring him to you.

Allison Lance (Please email us for Allison’s #)”