Free Range Truth – DxE September Day of Action

DxE investigated Pitman Family Farms, the most prominent supplier of free-range, slow-growth chickens to retailed like Whole Foods under then name “Mary’s Chicken”. On-site 24 hour surveillance uncovered that no birds were being allowed outside. Instead, chickens were kept indoors in crowded, filthy sheds where they had to fight for food and water. The activists came across one bird who had gone blind from pecking and was 1/2 the size of the other birds. They rescued her, named her Sophie and brought her to sanctuary where she now lives happy, safe and free.

“Slow growth” farms are a new trend in animal welfare. In these farms, chickens bred for their flesh grow at a slower rate in an attempt to eliminate some of the suffering that accompanies the fast growth rate these birds endure due to genetic manipulation. However, on slow growth farms, chickens continue to be confined and now spend twice as long in miserable conditions. One study found that birds in free-range, slow-growth farms have nine times as many broken breastbones. Ultimately, all chickens end up in terrifying and violent slaughterhouses. In fact, some of the birds from this farm ended up at Ming’s Poultry in San Francisco – the site of the first daylight open rescue conducted in US history (during the DxE Forum 2017) – where birds were languishing in cages without water, full of infection, waiting to be killed.

It’s time that the public is told the truth about the violence behind animal agriculture, including so-called “humane” meat, eggs and milk.

MODEL ACTION PLAN: 

Solo/”Challenge” Action:
An activist walks into Whole Foods or a place of violence, e.g. slaughterhouse, grocery store, fur store and tapes up the Warning Sign. The activist can then either give a speakout about the sign or ask an employee (nicely) if they would keep the sign up so the public can learn the truth. If the employee refuses and takes down the sign, the activist can give a speakout about the importance of telling the truth about animal exploitation and bearing witness to animals’ suffering.

Have someone film you doing the above action, post it online and tag three people to challenge them to do the action.

Variations
– hold the sign while giving a speakout
– hold the sign outside while speaking
– post the sign on the outside of the building
– chalk the message on the sidewalk outside the building
– project the image onto a building
– do a banner drop with a large version of the image

Group/”Day of Action” Plan
Create a variation of the solo challenge for your chapter to do as a whole at Whole Foods or another place of violence, e.g.
– disruption inside a store holding warning signs
– disruption inside a store after one person posts the sign
– large banner drop with the sign
– bearing witness at a slaughterhouse
– projecting the image onto a store, slaughterhouse or government building

If doing an action at Whole Foods or another similar grocery store/restaurant (i.e. “humane washer”), talk about the fraud and myth of “humane”, “free range” and “slow growth” chicken and tell Sophie’s story.

PARTICIPATING CITIES:

–BRAZIL–

Rio: https://www.facebook.com/events/1421123101304715/

Sao Paulo: https://www.facebook.com/events/1557436200943099/

–CANADA–

Edmonton: https://www.facebook.com/events/1758791294420073/

Halifax: https://www.facebook.com/events/2032362146997108/

London: https://www.facebook.com/events/148523799076794/

Ottawa: https://www.facebook.com/events/124312931553305/

Toronto: https://www.facebook.com/events/237961786731079/

Vancouver: https://www.facebook.com/events/116645565664938/

Winnipeg: https://www.facebook.com/events/1545455438882092/

–DENMARK–

Copenhagen: https://www.facebook.com/events/920929058061043/

–FRANCE–

Paris: https://www.facebook.com/events/105336486875896/

–GERMANY–

Berlin: https://www.facebook.com/events/134170720535848/

–NETHERLANDS–

Amsterdam: https://www.facebook.com/events/278843409251980/

–PORTUGAL–

Lisbon: https://www.facebook.com/events/354057381702234/

–UK–

Belfast: https://www.facebook.com/events/359833211096357/

London: https://www.facebook.com/events/114408432575602/

–UKRAINE–

Kyiv: https://www.facebook.com/events/630029140537446/

–USA–

Boston: https://www.facebook.com/events/1410989619018833/

Charleston: https://www.facebook.com/events/353321425088547/

Charlotte: https://www.facebook.com/events/1571758649513419/

Chicago: https://www.facebook.com/events/151656212053638/

Colorado: https://www.facebook.com/events/119662205324922/

Dallas: https://www.facebook.com/events/109702013060322/

Fresno: https://www.facebook.com/events/1903322726587419/

Inland Empire: https://www.facebook.com/events/117885428877536

Los Angeles: https://www.facebook.com/events/1476064562692085/

Madison: https://www.facebook.com/events/426826961045684/

Milwaukee: https://www.facebook.com/events/1935688810022627/

NYC: https://www.facebook.com/events/113434509332627/

Phoenix: https://www.facebook.com/events/1318904614885605/

Pittsburgh: https://www.facebook.com/events/1573240426059436/

Portland: https://www.facebook.com/events/269278816809489/

Raleigh: https://www.facebook.com/events/122587598470517/

San Jose: https://www.facebook.com/events/743331802517249/

San Luis Obispo: https://www.facebook.com/events/262277970935038/

SF Bay Area: https://www.facebook.com/events/114865772556642/

St. Louis: https://www.facebook.com/events/1954041928201852/

Twin Cities: https://www.facebook.com/events/1462542043853443/

Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a grassroots network of animal rights activists working to create a world where every animal is safe, happy and free. Through community building, open rescue, and disruptive protest, we are building a strong movement for animals.