A Note on Timing:
Matt's trial begins Jan. 20th and is very likely to run *beyond* Jan. 25th. Our convergence will begin the day before on Jan. 19th. People are encouraged to stay as long as the trial lasts if they are able to.
---
Support the Right to Rescue at trial!
Please join us for a week-long convergence in Iowa during the trial of DxE investigator Matt Johnson. He and Linda Cridge are being prosecuted for exposing a mass kill method called “ventilation shutdown” and rescuing a piglet named Gilly. This case could set in motion a chain reaction to end ag-gag and enshrine the Right to Rescue and we need YOU to bring this vision to life.
During this convergence we will fill the courtroom to show support at trial, build community and take revolutionary action. #RightToRescue
---
About the case:
DxE exposed Iowa's largest “pork” producer using a gruesome mass kill method called “ventilation shutdown” or VSD. Thousands of pigs were loaded into a shed, the vents were sealed off, and heat and steam were pumped inside to kill them. With the help of an employee whistleblower who was sickened by the cruelty, DxE investigators captured hidden-camera video of the pigs screaming in agony for hours as they died. The investigators were able to rescue one piglet named Gilly and she is living at a sanctuary today.
Investigator Matt Johnson is the first person to be charged under Iowa’s third ag-gag law, which was signed into law in June 2020, less than two weeks after the release of DxE’s VSD exposé. So instead of prosecuting the horrific animal cruelty at Iowa Select Farms, the state of Iowa came after the whistleblowers who exposed it. They even created a new crime called “food operation trespass” to charge Matt. He and Linda are facing felony burglary charges related to the rescue of Gilly. The animal agriculture industry is unspeakably violent and destructive, but it’s also immensely powerful, so the people who expose it and help the animals are being punished.
---
Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a grassroots network of animal rights activists. Through open rescue, demonstration, and disruption, we are creating a world where every animal is safe, happy and free.
DxE cultivates a welcoming and supportive community. We ask that all those who attend our events (online and offline) respect our Code of Conduct which can be reviewed at dxe.io/conduct.
To learn about our vision, goals, strategy and more check out the San Francisco Bay Area chapter Activist Handbook here: dxe.io/handbook
