Anonymous for the Voiceless
AbbreviationAV
FormationApril 16, 2016
TypeNonprofit organisation
PurposeAnimal rights
HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
Websiteanonymousforthevoiceless.org
Anonymous for the Voiceless at a protest for veganism in the Netherlands, June 2018

Anonymous for the Voiceless (AV) is a grassroots animal rights organization specializing in street activism formed in April 2016, in Melbourne, Australia.[1][2] Operating worldwide, Anonymous for the Voiceless now coordinate 100,000 volunteers in 375 AV chapters in 61 countries, with teams of volunteers organising and staging peaceful protest actions called 'Cubes of Truth'. These protests involve volunteers standing in a square formation wearing Guy Fawkes masks while holding screens showing footage of standard practice in the animal agriculture industry[3] with the intention of empowering the public to support animal rights and be vegan.

It is not affiliated to the hacktivist group "Anonymous", despite the similarities of names and the use of the Guy Fawkes mask.

Cube of Truth

Cube of Truth in Hanover, 2018

The Cube of Truth is an outreach and education method in which a group of black-clad people wearing Guy Fawkes masks form a square facing outward while holding signs and video screens showing footage of inside slaughterhouses, farms, and vivisection labs.[4][5] The cubes vary in size according to the number of activists or space.[1] Unmasked members of AV, known as "outreachers",[1] talk to people onlooking and encourage adopting a vegan lifestyle. The AV activists offer a 22-day vegan challenge called "Challenge 22" to onlookers who decide they want to take the option of a vegan diet.[2]

Campaigns

The Melbourne group's actions began in April 2016, to be followed by a Sydney group from November.[2]

On 5 November 2016, AV held 200 Cube of Truth actions across the world on the same day for the first of the now annual 'International Cube Day' campaigns.[6]

Organization

While it has been claimed that AV is a grassroots effort with no central organizing force beyond a website that links to each chapter and a series of Facebook groups that coordinate events,[7] the organisation does have a small team which includes the Co-Founders and Directors. This team is responsible for coordinating volunteers globally, providing chapters with essential equipment and support, running activist training programmes, and delivering impactful online campaigns.[8]

Anonymous for the Voiceless holds an abolitionist stance on animal exploitation.[7]

Paul Bashir and Asal Alamdari founded the original group in Melbourne,[2] although its headquarters are now in Chiang Mai, Thailand.[1][2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 McCasker, Toby (31 January 2017). "'Cube of Truth': Anonymous hit streets with violent footage of animal farming". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Gregoire, Paul (3 June 2017). "Stop Animal Cruelty: An Interview with Anonymous for the Voiceless' Matt Stellino". Sydney Criminal Lawyers. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  3. ↑ "'Hungry' man eats KFC at vegan protest". News.com.au. 12 December 2019.
  4. ↑ "Anonymous for the Voiceless advocate vegan diets, animal rights". CBC/Radio-Canada. CBC. 5 November 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  5. ↑ Bregolisse, Doris Maria (15 August 2018). "Animal rights activists planning protest at Kelowna Ribfest launch and main event". globalnews.ca. Global News. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  6. ↑ "SUCCESS: 'Cube of Truth' Vegan Activists Campaign for Animal Rights". 8 November 2017.
  7. 1 2 Haynes, Oliver (13 December 2018). "'Anonymous for the Voiceless'". The Ecologist. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  8. ↑ "Fund or Sponsor AV".
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