Have you had enough of animals suffering at the hands of law-breaking live exporters? It's time to make your voice heard for animals.
This Saturday 17th October, caring Aussies across the country will demand justice for the Australian sheep who cruelly had their throats sawn open while fully conscious during this year's Festival of Sacrifice.
What our investigators uncovered during the festival was nothing short of criminal. Watch the latest proof that certain live exporters are acting like they're above the law ...
WARNING: This video contains distressing cruelty. Please choose not to watch if you feel you might find it too upsetting. You can find rally details below.
Our investigators found thousands upon thousands of Aussie sheep being illegally sold for sacrificial slaughter. In backyards and makeshift abattoirs they were killed by untrained slaughtermen. Often sheep stood by and watched others of their kind being brutally butchered.
And the Government continues to give offending exporters the okay to export more animals!
We're determined to make sure that live exporters who break the rules are charged for their crimes -- and to see an end to this cruel trade. Join us in demanding justice for Australian sheep on Saturday 17th October. Click on your city to RSVP to the Facebook event.
Check these pics and clip out! People power in action...
On the weekend, countless numbers of people, young and old, took to the streets to call for an end to live exports. Simultaneous rallies were planned for capital cities across the country, speakers were confirmed, banners were made, and friends were invited. On the big day, a tidal wave of compassionate Aussies swept into the streets calling for an end to live exports.
You might already know that live export shipments from Australia have ended in a series of tragedies for animals over the last few weeks. Mother cows and calves have died from heat exhaustion and neglect in Qatar, and thousands of sheep have been stabbed, clubbed and buried alive in Pakistan.
The worst part is that these last few weeks haven't been some bizarre out-of-the-ordinary experience in the live export industry. Since the trade began, there has been no way that anyone can protect Australian animals once they leave our shores. This has seen them become victims of horrific treatment at their final destination.
Investigation after investigation by Animals Australia has shown the terrible fate that awaits Australian sheep and cows who have been exported. And with each investigation, opposition to the cruel trade grows among the Australian public. More and more people are calling for a ban on live exports, including members of the current government!
From east to west a collective voice was heard very clearly - Australians want an end to live exports. It really was an awesome day with a great atmosphere. How could it not have been though, when you get thousands of animal lovers together in one place :D
If you went along to a rally - thank you! Now we need you to keep the rally going. If you're 18 or over, let your local politician know that you're over live exports. If you not quite 18 yet, then you can still get a message to the PM telling her what you think about this cruel trade. Together, we have to speak up for the animals - because they can't do it themselves.
Important dates during the year: your birthday ... and this Saturday!! This Saturday is the Ban Live Exports National Rally - when people all across Australia will join together to show their opposition to the cruelty that is live exports. It's time to get your rally on!
The horror stories coming out of Pakistan even as you read this blog are just the latest in a long history of animal cruelty cases which can be pinned on the live exports industry. In case you don't know what's been happening in Pakistan lately - here's the basics.
After weeks stuck on a ship in sweltering heat ... and then being confined in mud-filled pits with hardly any access to water and food and barely enough room to lie down ... Australian sheep have been killed en masse in the most brutal way. Workers have been stabbing and clubbing the harmless sheep and even burying them alive in the same pits dug for the dead sheep.
Of the original 21,000 sheep who left Australia there are now just 10,000 survivors. They have endured heat, hunger and brutality while watching thousands upon thousands of their woolly friends die.
This type of pain and fear can never be justified. The steady stream of horror stories as a result of live exports proves that it can never be fixed. That the trade continues sends a message to the rest of the world that Australians accept animal cruelty. If that's not what you're about — this is your day to stand up to live export!
This Saturday thousands of people around Australia will be speaking up for the victims of live exports - because the victims can't speak up for themselves.
Tell your friends, tell your family ... tell your friends' families! This Saturday is going to be huge. Grab this opportunity to speak up for the animals, and demand an end to live exports. A kinder world is possible if you want it to be.
On the wharves of Port Adelaide, an animal welfare crisis has been unfolding.
A run down live export ship (actually a 28 year old converted car carrier) hit mechanical trouble when it set out for the Middle East with 67,000 sheep on board and was forced to return to Adelaide after just one day at sea. Trapped on the ship and crammed into tiny pens for over a week, 300 sheep died on board.
After a last-minute protest last Wednesday by Animals Australia, Unleashed members and around 70 locals, the sheep were finally offloaded and sent to a feedlot north of Adelaide.
Then on Saturday, as sheep were still being offloaded, more than 300 people gathered again at the docks to demand these sheep be shown some mercy. They've been through so much already! It's unthinkable that the live exporters still want to ship them back to the Middle East where they will have their throats cut while fully conscious!
Adelaide really stepped up on ultra short notice and I'm pretty proud of my hometown right now. But we still don't know yet what the fate of these poor confused sheep will be. We will be keeping our voices loud for them and I hope you will too.
Make sure you keep an eye on our Facebook page for any new protests that will be coming up, and sign up to the Action Team here so we can alert you to any last minute rallies quick as a flash!
Were you one of the thousands who came out to voice their opposition to live exports at the Ban Live Export National Rally on Sunday? What an amazing turn out and what an amazing atmosphere!
Thank you to everyone who helped send a strong message to politicians that Australians want this cruel trade stopped. If you made it along to the rally, leave a comment below. We'd love to hear about your experience of the day!
I'm so excited for the Ban Live Export National Rally I could burst! Sunday 14th August is the day that legendary people all over the country can rally together to Ban Live Export.
The rallies in each state are shaping up to be huge, with stacks of people clicking "Attending" on the Facebook events. And if you're in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra or Hobart, you can help us make this even bigger!
And I know there's heaps of people everywhere that were horrified by the footage out of Indonesia that might not be able to make it to a rally but still want to get involved, and you can help too! Here's how:
Spread the word on Facebook. Post this rally page to your wall. Make sure you RSVP there and to your city's Facebook event page (click on your city above). Then invite everyone on your friend list!
Get crafty and make some banners! Click here for some ideas on slogans and pictures to use. Be as creative as you want! (Just keep in mind that kids will be there, and that the focus of the rallies needs to stay on banning live export ;) Here are some our of faves:
Last (but absolutely not least), know where to go! Click here for all the rally deets to make sure you've sussed out the location and how you're going to get there in time for all the action to start. (Parking might be limited so you may need to take a bus, train, tram, helicopter :-P)
Oh! And just to get you in the mood (or maybe this is just my excuse to rock out) check out this clip by The Black Spurs. All about the live export trade, I reckon "It Ain't Right" will be #1 before we know it. First person to learn all the words gets ... um, massive Unleashed cred!
On the weekend, thousands of people attended rallies in cities nationwide with one very clear message for Prime Minister Julia Gillard -- Ban Live Export!
If you missed the rally (or even if you did make it!), the animals still need you to make voice heard: Take part in the Virtual Protest to ban live export. Check it out!
Tonight the campaign train visits the Australian Parliament with Independents Andrew Wilkie and Nick Xenophon and Greens' Adam Bandt introducing bills that, if passed, would finally see an end to live export.
We'll keep you posted on that news. In the meantime - Lights. Camera. Action to ban live export! We can't wait to see your video :)
Disclaimer:
We’re supposed to let you know that the ideas expressed here are the views of the individual authors, and may not necessarily reflect the views of Animals Australia or Animals Australia Unleashed. So now you know.
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