Global wave of protests in support of the Spanish animal activists arrested

[Susannah]

26 June 2011

Activists and supporters from 22 countries spread across four continents united on Friday 24 June to show their solidarity for the Spanish activists arrested last Wednesday from the groups Equanimal and Animal Equality.

Both organisations deny having any part in the release of 20,000 minks from a farm in Santiago de Compostela in 2007 but have been charged with crimes connected with this ranging from damages against the environment to conspiracy.

Equanimal and Animal Equality are legally constituted organisations who over the past few years have been conducting extensive undercover investigations into the Spanish mink industry, and have revealed the cannibalism, mutilitations, captivity-induced suffering, infections, worker abuse and gassings to which these animals are subjected to every year in their thousands through a series of high-profile public awareness-raising campaigns against the use of fur and animals as clothing .

More on the background to the case here: http://thespanish12.wordpress.com/

Please consider signing the petition in support of the Spanish activists:http://bit.ly/kjFmWj

Following the arrests and house raids last Wednesday, in which years worth of investigation and campaign materials were seized, including computers, hard drives, cameras and other office equipment, the global animal rights community has been quick to take action, organising spontaneously and in solidarity, scores of protests outside Spanish embassies and consulates across the world.

Cities that have expressed solidarity with the Spanish activists:

Aguascalientes
Activists from Aguascalientes, Mexico show their support of the Spanish activists!
Photos: http://bit.ly/kn02Pz

Amsterdam
Activists from Respect voor Dieren protest outside the Spanish Embassy, Amsterdam
Photos: http://bit.ly/jC7oQJ

Asheville
Supporters held a candelight vigil for the arrested Spanish activists in Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Photos: http://bit.ly/ihMxiU

Aukland
Animal Freedom Aotearoa protest in front of the Spanish Consulate in Aukland, New Zealand
Photos: http://bit.ly/mfB5gx

Barcelona
Activists from Animal Equality and other supporters protest outside the Government Delegate's office, Barcelona, Spain
Photos: http://bit.ly/lP9jPr

Bangalore
"On Friday June 24, a dozen of Animal Rights Activists from the city of Bangalore, India got together to show our support and condemn the arrest of the Spanish friends that have been arrested. Mouths taped and calling for the Spanish Government to stop this injustice, we stood for over an hour even with the rain on us."
Photos: http://bit.ly/kc2ogE

Berlin
"Protesters held a demonstration in front of the Spanish embassy in Berlin, Germany In general, people which were walking by supported the matter and even some employees of the embassy were interested in the leaflets. Further actions will follow!"
Photos: http://bit.ly/mGSkdL

Bilbao
Activists protest in Bilbao, the Basque Country
Photos: http://bit.ly/lEwqOX

Caracas
Animal Equality activists protest outside the Spanish Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela
Photos: http://bit.ly/lSKmNF

Gdansk
Members of Animal Equality Polska and other supporters protest outside the Spanish consulate in Gdansk
Photos: http://bit.ly/jINSUA

Hamburg
Supporters in front of the Spanish consulate, Hamburg, Germany
Report in German: http://www.tierbefreiung-hamburg.org/archives/868#more-868
Photos: http://bit.ly/l72sFU

Lima
Protesters in support of the Spanish activists in Lima, Peru
http://bit.ly/kZXH1S

Liubliana
Protesters outside the Spanish Embassy in Liubliana, Slovenia
Photos: http://bit.ly/lttbmh

London
Animal Equality activists protest outside the Spanish embassy in London, UK
Photos: http://bit.ly/j3HC5V

Madrid
Activists from Animal Equality, Equanimal and other supporters gathered in the centre of Madrid to protest the detention of the animal activists.
Photos: http://bit.ly/jLRyaK

Mar del Plata
Activists protest outside the Spanish Viceconsulate in Mar de Plata, Argentina
Photos: http://bit.ly/jSI7TL

Mendoza
"Activists from the Mendoza Network for Animals (RAM) and Especismo Cero protested outside the Spanish Consulate in Mendoza, Argentina. They presented letters of support for the activists and read out a statement requesting the freedom of all the detained activists. We hope they know they are not alone! All our support from Argentina!"
Photos: http://bit.ly/j76Zlp

Mexico City
Activists protest outside the Spanish Embassy in Mexico City in support of the Spanish activists
Photos: http://bit.ly/iBy6b5

Milan
Supporters of the Spanish activists arrested protest in the centre of Milan, Italy
Photo: http://bit.ly/m64otn

Munich
Activists from Tierrechtsinitiative München protest outside the Spanish Consulate, Munich, Germany
Photos: http://bit.ly/lHSmm0

Ottawa
Supporters of the Spanish activists outside the Spanish Embassy in Ottawa, Canada
Photos: http://bit.ly/mDKKaZ

Paris
Dozens of supporters held a protest by the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France on Saturday 25 June
Photos: http://bit.ly/m1KKwj

Pereira
Activists from Santuario Vida Animal protest in support of the arrested Spanish activists in Pereira, Colombia
Photos: http://bit.ly/jF3jF4

Portland
Supporters raise awareness on the case of the Spanish activists in Portland, Oregon, USA
Photos: http://bit.ly/mvFLQN

Prague
Protest in support of the Spanish activists - Prague, Czech republic
Photos: http://bit.ly/jmvSnO

Rome
A protester hung a banner outside the Spanish embassy calling for the release of the detained activists,
Photo: http://bit.ly/mTbWvM

Also, On Saturday 25 June around 50 activists realized a visual demo in
the center of Rome to promote veganism and to support the Spanish activists.
"Originally the demo was launched to promote veganism and to highlight the
terrible situation of not human slavery in the center of Rome. After the
facts of 22nd of June we decided immediately to rearrange the protest and
to show up our solidarity for the Spanish activists of Igualdad
Animal/Animal Equality and Equanimal arrested."
Photos: http://bit.ly/joexKv

Rosario
A letter was handed in to the Spanish Consulate in Rosario, Argentina
Photo: http://bit.ly/ixAhgk

San Francisco
Protesters in support of the Spanish activists outside the Spanish Consulate in San Francisco, USA
Photos: http://bit.ly/jjKT57

Santiago
Activists from EligeVeganismo protest in front of the Spanish Embassy in Santiago, Chile
Photos: http://bit.ly/mdtn7k

Siegburg
Supporters of the Spanish activists in Siegburg, Germany
Photo: http://bit.ly/jz0Kwd

Stuttgart
"On Friday 24th June, activists of the Initiative for Animal Rights of the Region of Stuttgart (Germany) have showed their solidarity with the animal rights activists who have been arrested. There have been protests in the front of the Spanish consulate and in the pedestrian area of Stuttgart (Castle's square), where we informed passers-by for hours, with hundreds of flyers, placards, and a megaphone, on the cases of the "Spanish activists" and the systematic repression against the animal rights movement."
Photos: http://bit.ly/iWl0Lz

Tel Aviv
30 activists stood outside the Spanish Embassy in Tel Aviv, protesting against the arrest of the Spanish activists.
Photos: http://bit.ly/ipwy7J

Toronto
"On June 24, about 50 animal rights activists from around Toronto (and some coming from as far away as St. Catharines!) gathered in front of the Spanish Consulate to send a message to the Spanish government and law enforcement that ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISM IS NOT TERRORISM."
Photos: http://bit.ly/jfs0u8

Tours
A group of activists from Tours, France showed their support for the Spanish activists
Photo: http://bit.ly/kp1OIK

Vancouver
Activists from Vancouver, Canada said "three of us went to the Spanish Consulate in Vancouver, BC to show our support for the 12 animal rights activists who were arrested as eco-terrorists. Unknown to us is that the Spanish Consulate has closed in Vancouver. We decided to stay and show our support anyway.
Activism is not terrorism!"
Photos: http://bit.ly/mytKqR

Vienna
Activists and supporters from various animal organisations protest in front of the Spanish Embassy in Vienna, Austria.
Report: http://www.vgt.at/presse/news/2011/news20110624m.php
Photos: http://bit.ly/lCfHyq

Washington DC
Protesters in support of the Spanish activists outside the Spanish Embassy in Washington DC, USA
Photos: http://bit.ly/jsk2fh

Zagreb
Protesters from Stop Specizmu outside the Spanish embassy in Zagreb, Croatia
Photos: http://bit.ly/imDx2U

•Please consider making a donation in support of the animal rights activists arrested in Spain: