The Black Plume

Talk can be found at our Archive.org page

A couple of weeks ago we gave a talk at the Norwich Vegan Festival about anarchism and anti-authoritarian politics within veganism. Given the explosion of vegan consumerism in the UK today – and especially in Norwich, where there seems to be a new vegan joint opening every couple of months right now – it is important to remember that veganism has grown from fertile radical soil, where it strengthened and was strengthened by radical anti-authoritarianism. In this talk we look at some of the ways that veganism connects with other radical politics such as ecology, feminism, and class struggle.

Last weekend we gave a talk at the Cambridge Radical Bookfair about veganism and animal liberation and what it can bring to individuals involved in anarchist or other anti-authoritarian politics. You can listen to it at our archive.org page.

At next weekend’s Cambridge Radical Bookfair we’ll be launching part two of the Veganism – A Different Approach series. Titled “The State Is Not The Answer”, this edition takes a look at the effectiveness of trying to use State power to achieve a better world for non-human animals. In particular, it focuses on two key pieces of UK legislation: the banning of battery cages, and the Hunting Act 2004. Using these two 21st Century examples the text attempts to illustrate why the pursuit of animal liberation through legal means can only lead to dead ends.

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Even during the so-called “golden age” of hunting during the 19th Century, the sport was no more popular amongst people of the countryside than it is today. This letter by William Skinner Phillippo to the Norfolk News in 1856 illustrates how the problems of fox and other game hunting – including how it hides behind the machinations of Law – haven’t changed in more than 150 years.

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Thank you to all that came and participated in our Zapatista documentary screening. It was small but hopefully everyone involved felt they gained something from the night. It seems likely we’ll do another screening in early July so keep your eyes open for more details regarding that. Furthermore, it’s likely this will not be the last time we look at the Zapatistas.

In other news, our next discussion group is during the evening of 23rd June, in Norwich, where a text regarding hunt sabotage and animal liberation written by one of the group will be looked at. There is no expertise or experience required to participate: getting together, socialising, and getting to know one another is as valuable as any political debate.

If you’d like to come along please email us or send us a message to our Facebook page.

Bungay Town District Council: Stop Supporting Hunting on boxing Day

The Change.org petition linked above has been created asking Bungay Town District Council to stop the Waveney Harriers from undertaking their annual Boxing Day Hunt parade from happening in the town this year, next year, and onwards. The petition is looking for a total of 2500 signatures.

The Boxing Day Hunt is a tradition for hunting packs across the UK in which the hunt will have a public display of their horses, hounds and hunters before engaging in the hunt itself. The Waveney Harriers, though nominally a hare hunt, have in recent years shifted toward pursuing and murdering foxes. The Hunting Act, introduced 2005, was meant to outlaw hunting wild animals with hound packs but the reality is hunting never stopped.