If you aren’t familiar with Ag-Gag laws and care about human rights and/or animal rights, you should start getting familiar. These laws directly target whistleblowers, investigators and journalists involved in the animal agriculture industry. We all deserve the right to know what goes on in facilities that profit from the use of animals. All companies should be open to being fairly investigated and held accountable for crimes committed and truth hidden.
Check out this must-read article that explains more specifically what Ag-Gag is. Also, to demonstrate how outrageous this issue has become, here is an article about how the FBI Says Activists Who Investigate Factory Farms Can Be Prosecuted as Terrorists.
Most recently, four local activists were prosecuted under the Ag-Gag law for taking photographs from the street. From the article, by journalist Will Potter:
“It’s only the second time that an Ag-Gag law has been enforced, nationally. The first time was also in Utah. A young woman named Amy Meyer saw a sick cow being pushed by a bulldozer, and she filmed it from the public street. After a news report on this website about her prosecution went viral, prosecutors dropped all charges.
Utah is one of seven states to enact ag-gag laws that make it illegal to photograph factory farms and slaughterhouses. The laws are a direct response to a series of undercover investigations by animal welfare groups exposing horrific animal cruelty.”
We all need to stand together to keep awareness and attention on this issue. Our voices make all the difference in gaining back our rights by getting prosecutions dropped, shutting down these laws where they exist, and preventing future laws from being enacted. Our relationships with dogs and cats help to show us that we all matter and that all of our rights are worth fighting for. Let’s use our voices to make sure that all voices can be heard.
Activists with Mercy for Animals peacefully protesting in Iowa, where Ag-Gag laws are still in effect.
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Sara
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