LAST UPDATED: 21 October 2015
From the bottom of our hearts — and on behalf of millions of live export victims — THANK YOU! Our national rally on Saturday 17 October was massive, with events in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Fremantle and Hobart. Compassionate residents of Townsville and Grafton stepped up, too!
This huge groundswell of public support for an end to this cruel trade sparked a flood of media reports from news outlets including Channel 7, Sky News, Channel 9, ABC, SBS, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Courier-Mail, The Hobart Mercury, The Adelaide Advertiser and The Daily Telegraph. Politicians around the country have received the message loud and clear that Australians simply won't stand for law-breaking or cruelty to animals.
A message from our investigator:
What a day. Seeing so many kind Australians coming together for animals and justice was really amazing. When you're in the midst of a live export investigation, with its dangers and stresses, it's easy to feel alone. Bearing witness to animals suffering is deeply distressing — and our recent investigations in the Middle East were particularly tough. That's why joining passionate people from all walks of life at the Sydney rally was so inspiring. It really brought home: if you care about animals, you're never alone. And we're only growing stronger as a movement. I'll gladly take that knowledge with me each and every time I head into the field.Shatha Hamade, Animals Australia live export investigator
A HUGE thank you to everyone who attended. Thanks especially to the speakers and rally coordinators in each state:
In Melbourne: Lyn White, Kelvin Thomson MP, Adam Bandt MP and Dr Liz Walker, with MC Josef Brown; In Sydney: Shatha Hamade, Mark Pearson MLC and Senator Lee Rhiannon, with MC Clare Mann and coordinators Debbie Blundell and Lynda Stoner; In Brisbane: Mandy Paterson, Ruth Hatten, and Andrew Bartlett, with MC Rick Allport and coordinators Sue Clarke, Shane Simms and Gayle D’Arcy; In Canberra: Glenys Oogjes, Dr Bidda Jones and Prof. Steve Garlick, with MC Tara Ward and coordinators Clare O’Sullivan, Nik Ferrara and Ash Robertson; In Adelaide: Tim Vasudeva, Tammy Franks MLC, Aaron Timoshanko and Tony Zappia MP, with MC and coordinator Sally Sutton; In Fremantle: Melissa Parke MP, Mayor Brad Pettitt and Lynn MacLaren MLC, with MC and coordinator Katrina Love; In Hobart: Andrew Wilkie MP and Cassy O'Connor, with MC & coordinator Suzanne Cass.
Stay loud!
Keep the rally going by making sure your MP knows where you stand on live export law-breaking and cruelty! Call your MP now — it's as simple as leaving a polite message supporting an end to live export and asking for exporters breaking the law to be prosecuted.