Open meeting of the regional group Berlin-Brandenburg from Bündnis Gemeinsam gegen die Tierindustrie

Get to know each other, information, exchange, action planning – join us if you want to get involved in the alliance against the animal industry!

We want a different kind of agriculture and a food transition for the climate, animals and justice. We do public relations work, organize demonstrations and actions of civil disobedience. Together we can achieve more – we look forward to seeing you!

When? 25.03. at 6 pm
Where? Thinkfarm (Oberlandstr. 26-35)

Why Tönnies now? Tönnies, Germany’s largest meat company, is an example of a system that exploits people, animals and the environment. We are taking a stand against this injustice and invite everyone to take action with us. Together against Tönnies!

Corona outbreaks, exploitation of workers, animal welfare scandals… these are just some of the buzzwords that are used when talking about Germany’s largest meat company: Tönnies Holding, based in Rheda-Wiedenbrück in North Rhine-Westphalia. The company and above all Managing Director Clemens Tönnies, who owns 45% of the company, are raking in huge profits while people, the environment and animals suffer as a result. We say: this must stop!

Tönnies must pay – compensation instead of profits
Socialization of the Tönnies Group – democratization instead of capitalism
Stop importing animal feed – climate justice instead of capitalism

More information about Tönnies and our demands: https://gemeinsam-gegen-die-tierindustrie.org/en/together-against-toennies/

Out last action: https://gemeinsam-gegen-die-tierindustrie.org/en/elementor-11128/

Kick-off campaign against Tönnies and Germany’s largest slaughterhouse

On February 15, 2024, we launched our wave of protests against Tönnies. Around midday, we gained access to the company premises in Rheda-Wiedenbrück and carried out a series of actions.

Using sirens, helium balloons and banknotes, we caused chaos and noise in the administration building. Banners reading “Socialize Tönnies” and “Stop neocolonialism” were unfurled in the foyer. Meanwhile, activists gained access to the executive floor of the building. This is where “entrepreneurial” decisions are made at the expense of people, animals and the environment. The activists redecorated the conference room and drew attention to the people affected in this room who have no say, even though their “participation” is fundamental to the company’s profits: people from the Global South, animals, workers and the environment.

A banner was left on the company’s soccer pitch and the number “1.5” was written on the grass with spray paint. Tönnies, as Germany’s largest meat company, contributes significantly to the climate crisis and the failure to meet the 1.5° target. Additionally, every year areas the size of 1.5 million soccer pitches are destroyed for the animal feed consumption of the livestock industry.

Another group climbed onto the roof of the huge cold store and attached a large banner over the Tönnies logo, leaving the message “Together against Tönnies”.

In front of the company’s premises, supporters waved banners to express their solidarity with the actions.

Unfortunately, some people, including journalists present, were reported to the police. Several activists were arrested, but all were released by the next morning at the latest.

We see the action as a great success. All local media as well as WDR and tagesschau.de reported on the protests. We would like to thank all the supporters who made this possible.

With our protest we demand :

– Tönnies must pay – compensation instead of profits

– Socialization of the Tönnies Group – democratization instead of capitalism

– Stop importing animal feed – climate justice instead of neocolonialism

For an ecological and solidarity-based agricultural shift – right now!

These actions were just the beginning. From now on it’s Together against Tönnies. Join us!

 

The camp program is ready!

Our program for the Action Camp is (almost) set! It starts on Friday, 23.9. at 12 o’clock and ends on 27.9. We are looking forward to numerous contributions and an exciting exchange. You can already look forward to these program points (date and times will follow):

  • How to do a small group action? (Zucker im Tank)
  • Ausprobieren von Kommunikationsstrategien und Know how beim Pressesprechen (Mika)
  • Food sovereignty (Wir haben es satt)
  • Semi-open panel with Aktion Agrar
  • Antirepression Workshop (AG Antirepression / GgdT)
  • Small group actions with and without material (Zucker im Tank)
  • Dealing with emotional stress (AG Awareness / GgdT)
  • Why only socialism can save the environment. (Offensiv – Marxistische Organisation)
  • Reading: “Glitter in the Coal Dust – On the Struggle for Climate Justice and Autonomy” (Zucker im Tank)
  • Cross-movement exchange on the agrarian turnaround (Wir haben es satt)
  • Action trainings (GgdT)
  • Workshop & Conversation Training: Dealing with protesting farmers  (AG Agriculture / GgdT)
  • Autonomous communication with the press (Mika)
  • How do we manage to stay political active? (Zucker im Tank)
  • Information event for resistance nomads Self-help group according to radical therapy concept  (Kreativismus)
  • Political work between activism and citizens’ initiative (WiWa_Bleibt)
  • Participation in the alliance Gemeinsam gegen die Tierindustrie (AG Neue & Vernetzung / GgdT)
  • After the action days is before the Eurotier.

In addition, guided camp tours will take place on some days.

Furthermore, there will be the possibility to participate in various plenums inside and actions outside the camp. In addition, we have set up an open space tent, which can be filled spontaneously with program!

Samstag 24.9.

Making the center of the meat and poultry industry the focus of our protest

Fighting for the withdrawal of the meat industry in Oldenburger Land

This summer, we would like to take our united protest to the center of the German meat production industry, Oldenburger Land. Larger and equally determined – especially as the meat industry continues to profit uninterrupted. Through multiply-day activities between 23 and 27 September 2022 we will take a stand against the meat industry: with a large scale initiative and further individual protests, we will be rebellious and creative for a radical change in the agriculture and nutrition systems.

Meat and poultry industry: a system of exploitation and destruction

In the meat industry there is a multitude of problems, among them: land theft and hunger in the Global South, exploitation of the majority of migratory workers, and from economical farmers massive greenhouse gas emissions, environmental destruction, and the oppression and murder of animals. This industry is vulnerable where it feels the most comfortable: in the triangle between Bremen, Oldenburg and Osnabrück. In “Oldenburger Land”, there are rows upon rows of feedlots, slaughterhouses, wurst factories and feed mills. The biggest profiteers of this industry are here: the large meat corporations, above all, PHW (Wiesenhof), Vion, Tönnies und Westfleisch.

Fighting together for a unified agricultural shift

This year, with your support, we are making the large spectrum of social catastrophes, in which the meat corporations and industry are responsible for, transparent. We will expose the interconnected exploitation of humans, animals, and nature. This link is a direct result of capitalistic production. We are attaching ourselves to these fights for emancipation and are arranging many varied, colorful, and dedicated activities and protests.

The protests of the last years have made a difference, but we must prevent the meat industry from using surface-level changes and the mere appearance of adjustments to perpetuate harmful practices, such as removing and cancelling factory contracts, climate change and “animal welfare” protections or supply-chain laws. Instead, we want to make sure that there is no way to get around a complete termination of the meat industry. We will achieve this through comprehensive and extensive systemic change and transformation: a good life for all, even animals, within planetary capacity and particularly by excepting responsibility in the global north.

Call to Action

We are calling all to connect with our initiative in the summer. Come to the planned large scale protest and plan your own in protest in Oldenburger Land. Only together can we manage the withdrawal from the meat production industry. Let us create an example in the fight for an ecological nutrition system and agriculture transformation!

The activities will take place from 23 to 27 September. We will be releasing more detailed information relating to the time, meeting place, and activity formats at a later date. Stay connected and join us in the creation of the activities for the summer. 

Contact and Information

Contact: https://gemeinsam-gegen-die-tierindustrie.org // mail@gemeinsam-gegen-die-tierindustrie.org

Delaying tactics of the authorities – we will not be intimidated!

The authorities in the district of Vechta in Lower Saxony are trying to prevent our protest camp against PHW/Wiesenhof. All areas proposed by us for the planned camp are currently rejected. Thereby our event is protected by the basic right to assemble.

We consider this as an attack on the freedom of assembly – and we will not be stopped! In any case, our camp will take place. You can find current information about the camport here.

We have prepared the camp for months and registered it early. Everything is ready, we have worked out a hygiene concept. The lack of planning security provoked by the authorities in Vechta is unacceptable, not least with regard to infection control!

Therefore: Now more than ever: Mobilize to the camp, sign our appeal, scandalize with us the outrageous tactics of the local authorities and above all: Come to the camp and demonstrate with us for a different agriculture!

Solibus drives from Berlin to the camp and back! Register now!

Hello dear active people,

The Solibus will take us from Berlin to Lower Saxony to the camp and mass action of the alliance ‘Gemeinsam gegen die Tierindustrie’. And also back!​​​​​​​

Date and time
We will depart from Berlin on Tuesday 13 July at 10 AM. The bus will return from the camp to Berlin on Saturday 17 July at 12 PM (noon).
Departure location is available upon registration.

Registration
If you want to join us, please send us an e-mail to:
berlin-solibus@gemeinsam-gegen-die-tierindustrie.org
(PGP Key here: http://keys.gnupg.net/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x06632A06944DFB09)

There are 49 seats for passengers. The bus is barrier-free with lift (1x wheelchair place fixed, more possible with transfer). There are contact persons in the bus.
It is possible to travel one-way or roundtrip. Due to the planning, it would be important if you can let us know in advance.

And very important:
If you have registered, but then can not come, cancel!
Otherwise seats will be empty and people who want to come will not be able to.

Money
Yes, it is a Solibus. But that doesn’t mean that the Solibus Collective has no costs.
We want to cover these costs as good as possible and therefore we should try to collect at least 1.000 € for the bus. But we also want you to be able to travel with us if you don’t have any money.
Therefore our recommendation would be to pay 15 € per trip. The soli contribution would be 20 €.
With 10 € the costs would be almost covered with a full bus. However, it is often the case that some seats remain empty or that other passengers are not able to pay that much.
Therefore, it would be very nice to proceed according to the principle ‘they who have, give’ (‘Wer hat der*die gibt’).

Please bring the money in cash to the departure.
Please let us know how much you want to pay when you register, so we can have a rough idea of how much you will have to pay.

Luggage
Due to the limited transport possibilities we ask you to pay attention to how much ‘stuff’ you pack.
If you have more material than a normal backpack, for example big banners, action material or equipment for the camp, please let us know in advance.
For the good of all, please refrain from taking illegal drugs, action items or other materials if possible.

Corona
Even though the incidence value is currently decreasing and we expect a relaxation of the Corona measures, we ask you to wear a medical mask or a FFP2 mask during the trip.
We would also appreciate it if all people could take a self-test before the ride. This way, you can all help minimize the safety from unwanted Corona transmissions and associated inconveniences, including at camp. Disinfectant will be provided on the bus and also at camp.
If you have any COVID symptoms, we appeal to you to act conscientiously and if you are unsure, to stay home and cancel your ticket.

Looking forward to seeing you on the bus and at the camp!

CAMP AND MASS ACTION 12-17th JULY 2021

“PHW ade!”: camp and mass action of civil disobedience of the alliance “Gemeinsam gegen die Tierindustrie” in July 2021

Climate change is advancing at an alarming rate, the Amazon rainforest is burning continuously, the workers in the animal factories, slaughterhouses and meat processing plants have to work under inhumane conditions and undercover research in animal factories reveals horrific conditions time and again. With corona, a worldwide pandemic is raging, which as a zoonotic disease has its origin in the destruction of our natural foundations of life. And the animal industry responsible for this is achieving record sales and growth rates – this is a scandal!

We want to counter this. In July, we will demonstrate in Lower Saxony with an action camp for agriculture that is not based on the exploitation of people, other animals and nature. We will also protest protest against the animal industry with a mass action targeted at the PHW-Wiesenhof Group, the largest corporation in the German poultry industry.

Read more about our plans and goals in our Call for action.

Workshop at Hambi

At the Anti-Spe-Days in the Hambach Forest, we were able to hold a workshop on international mobilization for a mass action in 2021. Numerous new networks on animal liberation and animal rights activists from Europe have emerged. As part of the workshop, plans were concretized how the mobilization can be carried out effectively and strategically. The workshop also provided a framework for exchanging views on transnational experiences with repression and the implementation of actions.

Gemeinsam gegen die Tierindustrie goes Rhineland

At the end of September, a hot late summer is on the horizon in the Rhineland: from September 23 – 28,Ende Gelände mobilizes into the lignite mining area, and in the same period (September 24 – 27) the international Forest Anti-Spe Days 2020 will take place in the Hambacher Forst! We call on you to come with us to the Rhineland and participate in the actions! Either at Ende Gelände or in the Hambacher Forst during the Days against Speciesism.

We will participate in the program with workshops in the Hambacher Forst and present us and our plans for the Mass Action 2021 to the international activists.

More information about the Forest Anti-Spe Days can be found on the official homepage:
https://forestantispedays.noblogs.org/deutsch/https://forestantispedays.noblogs.org/english/

250 people demonstrate in Kellinghusen against Tönnies

From our today’s press release:

250 people followed the call of the alliance “gemeinsam gegen die Tierindustrie” to protest against the Tönnies Group’s claims for damages against activists. The company demands 40,000 Euros from 30 animal rights and climate justice activists* of the action group “Tear Down Tönnies”, who blocked the slaughterhouse for several hours in October 2019.

In compliance with the minimum distance and equipped with mouth-nose-covering, the demonstrators* moved loudly shouting from the market place in Kellinghusen to the Tönnies slaughterhouse. With chants like “We are loud and we are here – for the liberation of humans and animals” they made their demands unmistakably clear.

Several speakers described the precarious and unworthy conditions of the workers in the slaughterhouses and pointed out the responsibility of the meat industry for the destruction of natural resources and thus the human-made climate change. The needs of animals and their disregard by the meat industry were also addressed.

In a greeting message of the campaign “We don’t shut up, we shut down” it was explained how activists are fighting against the power company RWE, which also demands compensation for damages from climate justice activists* for an action against coal mining.