Multi-part Series of Courage and Compassion on the Street, Part 9: Worldwide Animal Liberation March − San Francisco, USA

On today’s episode, we feature the Animal Liberation March organized by the animal-people rights organization, Direct Action Everywhere, on June 10, 2023, in San Francisco, California, United States. In 2020, our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) presented the Shining World Courage-Compassion Award to Direct Action Everywhere with a humble contribution of US$20,000 to support its ongoing endeavors.

The Animal Liberation March was part of DxE’s Animal Liberation Conference that was hosted at the University of California, Berkley. This conference brought together hundreds of animal-people advocates from around the world for a six-day educational program, which included networking, seminars, panel discussions, and workshops to train activists on the best practices to bring maximum exposure to the cruelty and abuse of animal-citizen exploitation industries through direct action in their local region.

On the second day of the conference, attendees and local California residents gathered at Dolores Park in San Francisco for the Animal Liberation March. At the start of the march, a rally with heartfelt speeches from activists really got the crowd going! “Dear meat, dairy, and all industries that exploit animals, you’ve had a long run, but your time is over! Yes, for so long, you’ve made the world believe that it’s ok to mistreat animals, and for so long, we blindly followed you. But the world is finally learning the truth, and we are all beginning to see the lies that you fed us, and we are refusing to support you any longer.” “And that is why today we will march for the ‘Right To Rescue.’ We will march to save every animal, big or small, feathered or furry, deserves to be saved from a life of abuse.”

The Animal Liberation March was arranged with meticulous attention to attract the highest possible level of attention while ensuring the safety of all participants. A team of motorcyclists and street marshals were appointed to guarantee safety on the streets, while additional teams distributed vegan promotional materials to spectators. Booming drumbeats reverberated through the streets, while colored flares drew attention, all while a loudspeaker guided peaceful chants. Many attendees wore shirts from the Animal Liberation Conference bearing slogans such as, “A Better World is Possible. Liberation For All.” and “No More Factory Farms.” These slogans convey a strong message and inspire hope for a better future.