Animal Liberation is the radical notion that animals have intrinsic value beyond that which they are given by humans. We reject all forms of exploitation against animals including, but not limited to, the use of animals for food, human entertainment, experimentation and clothing.

Animal Liberation differs from animal welfare in that welfare activists (‘welfarists’) seek only to improve the conditions in which animals are exploited and killed for human needs. We seek to abolish all forms of exploitation, we do not limit ourselves to the struggle for bigger cages, we want to smash them!

We differ from Animal Rights in that we are do not believe that asking our Government, or any form of authority, to bestow ‘rights’ upon animals is the answer to animal exploitation. Rights have traditionally been given to oppressed groups in order to quell unrest and further struggles for liberation. In the same way that Women’s Rights have not ended sexism, or Civil Rights racism, we do not believe that Animal Rights will end animal exploitation.

We call for an end to all exploitation and domination, including that from our Government. We believe that Animal Liberation cannot be achieved without a social revolution to remove the current capitalist system and replace it with a more egalitarian society.

Animals are oppressed by humans because they are of a different species to humans (a form of discrimination known as speciesism) and are therefore viewed as inferior beings. This is a symptom of an anthropocentric (human centered) world view that places human above all other living beings on the planet.

Animal Liberation activism is not limited to property damage and the liberation of animals from places of exploitation (i.e. Animal Liberation Front type actions). Animal Liberation is the belief that animals exist for their own purposes and therefore any actions that seek to end any form of oppression (without the actions themselves being oppressive) can be considered part of the struggle for their liberation.