Animal Defenders in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter (Toronto)

if your organization for animal defense wishes to sign onto the statement, please contact us by following this link (click here).

please know that you are expected to:

• donate a minimum of $5 directly to the BLM Toronto fund (http://blacklivesmatter.ca/#testimonials) or your nearest local chapter (http://blacklivesmatter.com/find-chapters/), AND/OR
• make a clear and generous demonstration of support for your local chapter of BLM 

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This is a statement of support for Black Lives Matter (BLM), and explicitly Black Lives Matter Toronto (BLM-TO), from animal defenders & communities against speciesism.

Mainstream “animal  rights” and vegan capitalism take up a lot of space in the social imagination of allyship towards non-human animals. Images of skinny white cis abled bodies, expensive food in gentrified neighbourhoods and abstract philosophical theories are common examples.

Because of this, we feel compelled to make our presence known, to vocalize that there are animal defenders who respect and admire the radical efforts of Black Lives Matter.

We understand how examples of violence, like anti-Black racism, intertwine and support other systems of oppression, like violence against animals and the Earth. We understand how the role of the state in sponsoring violence against our communities in different capacities requires a united front as we demand police accountability, police disarmament and prison abolition.

And so we support Black Lives Matter, and all their efforts towards dismantling structural racism and white supremacy. Our support will look like actively recognizing the amount of work needed to challenge and disrupt internalized racism and white privilege that abound within communities advocating for animals and vegan diets. We will follow the inspiring examples of BLM Toronto who apply intersectional analysis that centers women of color, queer, trans, indigenous and Black voices.

We will aspire to become unapologetic when unpacking racism in our own organizations and through our campaigns against other injustices within society. We will work in solidarity with Black communities to show support, love and resistance against hate and violence.

Sincerely,

Earthling Liberation Kollective (ELK)

Animal Action

A Privileged Vegan

A Well-Fed World

Animal Voices Vancouver

Animal Rights Kollective (ARK II)

Campus Animal Rights Educators

Collectively Free (New York, Baltimore)

Food Empowerment Project

Hamilton/Halton Animal Liberation Team – HALT

Palestinian Animal League – PAL

Palestinian Animal League Solidarity – PALS

Progress For Science (P4S)

Students for Critical Animal Studies (SCAS)

The Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARN)

T.O.F.U. Magazine

Veganarchy

VEGAN POWER 50 K

VINE Sanctuary

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Black Lives Matter – Toronto is a coalition of Black community members that seeks liberation from anti-black racism and state-sanctioned violence, including but not limited to police violence, mass incarceration, state policies, and community issues like poverty.
For more information on their demands, click here.