Direct Action Everywhere

ms608@duke.edu — Tue, 08 May 2018 02:54:04 +0000

Description:

DxE is an international grassroots network of animal rights activists who use non-violent direction action tactics to further animal rights. Their tactics include open rescue of animals from farms, protests, and community engagement. They believe in both "total animal liberation" as well as "species equality".

https://www.directactioneverywhere.com/home#what-we-do

Goals:

The goals of DxE is to

- mobilize activists worldwide

- revolutionize public opinion

- transform politics

They do this through mass protests, open rescue, and community building in order to promote animal liberation.

Structure:

The leadership of DxE stems from their SF Bay Core which is the elected body of leadership for the entire organization. They include Wayne Hsiung (the founder and the Lead Organizer) as well as other members of the board. This Core then directly oversees the DxE Global Steering Committee which offers strategic guidance and oversees the entire DxE network and encourages the development of new chapters internationally.

DxE does not have individual members but rather has chapters and communities with which these members are a part. As a result, this open platform approach allows DxE to be open to anybody who desires to participate as long as they share the same ideals as DxE. They seek to create a community based on the following principles of Emergent Leadership, Integrity, Responsibility, Empathy, and Inclusiveness.

Genealogy:

DxE started in 2013 by Wayne Hsiung and a group of individuals who decided to bring environmental and animals right's protests inside stores and restaurants as opposed to boycotting outside.

From there, DxE has organized many restaurant sit-ins, die-ins, and international marches such as "The Earthlings March" which took place in over 40 cities internationally, They have since grown to over 80 different cities.

DxE has also taken on an open rescue approach to animal rights activism in which they actively investigate different farms following alleged claims that certain groups that have been marketed as humane are not actually truthful.

DxE now has internationally coordinated monthly days of action and have targeted grocery stores, restaurants, clothing stores, zoos, circuses, and labs in search for animal rights. Their activism has taken on many different forms including not only nonviolent direct action, but also open rescue and community building and education.

Campaigns:

The two main campaigns undertaken by the DxE have been targeting the exploitation of animals used in the food industry and the inhumane and sometime violent treatment of animals in research.

1) It's Not Food, It's Violence- animals in the food industry

2) Animals in Research: Not Ours to Use- animals in research

Oppositional Forces:

DxE has received criticism from all of the stores and restaurants they have targeted (including Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Norbest) as well as non-vegan consumers. They have also received criticism from the Independent Journal Review which has called their protest tactics bullying. Certified Humane has even said in an email to the Washington Post that "DxE is attempting to undermine consumer confidence in products which are in fact ethically produced and businesses working in good faith to reinvigorate a very desirable traditional business model".

Type of Organization:

Animal Rights Activist Organization

Tatics Used:

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