Liberation BC facts for kids

Liberation BC logo

Liberation BC is a group based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It's a non-profit organization, which means it doesn't aim to make money, but instead works to help others. Liberation BC focuses on animal rights, aiming to protect animals and teach people about their needs.

This group started in 2004 and is run completely by volunteers. They have many supporters who care about animals. Liberation BC's main goals are to show how animals are sometimes used unfairly, to encourage people to live a vegan lifestyle (eating no animal products), and to build a strong community of people who want to help animals.

Helping Animals Through Campaigns

Liberation BC has worked on many important campaigns since it began.

Protesting for Animal Welfare

• KFC Protests (2004-2007): For several years, Liberation BC held weekly protests outside KFC restaurants. They were part of a bigger campaign to ask KFC to improve how it treated chickens. Eventually, KFC Canada announced it would make changes to its animal welfare rules.
• Bebe Fur Campaign (2006-2007): The group also focused on the clothing store Bebe because it sold fur. After their protests, Bebe announced that it would stop selling fur products by 2008.
• Rodeo Protests: Liberation BC has protested against the Cloverdale Rodeo. In 2007, after years of concerns from animal rights groups, the rodeo removed four of its main events. In May 2007, activists from Liberation BC even entered the rodeo ring with banners to try and stop the event. They were removed by security and police. They did a similar action at the Abbotsford Rodeo in 2008.

Promoting Vegan Living

• Foie Gras Ban (2008-2009): Liberation BC worked to get foie gras banned in Vancouver. Foie gras is a food made from the liver of ducks or geese that have been force-fed.
• Environment and Diet: In 2009, the group wrote a letter to Vancouver's "Greenest City Action Team." They asked the team to recognize how eating meat affects the environment and to suggest that people reduce how many animal products they eat. Other animal welfare groups also signed this letter.

Community Outreach and Support

• Cow Ribbon Campaign (2009-present): Liberation BC started the annual Cow Ribbon Campaign for Mother's Day. People can buy ribbons with a cow pattern and wear them. This helps start conversations about how mother cows and calves are treated in the dairy industry. People also share images of the ribbon online on sites like Twitter and Facebook.
• Community Events: Since 2010, Liberation BC has held "Unconference" and "World Cafe" events, which are ways for people to discuss ideas together.
• Vancouver Animal Advocacy Camp: Every year, the group organizes a two-day event called the Vancouver Animal Advocacy Camp. About 100 people from the Pacific Northwest attend. Famous speakers, like cookbook author Sarah Kramer and documentary filmmaker Liz Marshall, have spoken at these camps.
• Eyes Wide Open Film Screenings: Since 2010, Liberation BC has shown free animal rights films several times a year. This project is called "Eyes Wide Open." They show films like Forks Over Knives and Earthlings at places like the Vancouver Public Library.
• Public Information: Volunteers regularly set up information tables at events like farmers markets and environmental fairs. They hand out materials about animal rights and vegan living.
• Volunteer Nights: The group holds monthly volunteer nights. This is where activists can meet, write letters, prepare materials for campaigns, plan future events, and socialize.

Fundraising and Solidarity

• Walk for Farm Animals (2007-2013): For several years, Liberation BC hosted the annual Vancouver Walk for Farm Animals. This event raised money for Farm Sanctuary, a place that rescues and cares for farm animals.
• Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale: Since 2010, the group has taken part in the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale every year. They raise money for different animal advocacy groups, especially local ones.
• Chicken Vigils (2013-present): Since April 2013, Liberation BC has held weekly "Chicken Vigils" outside a slaughterhouse in Vancouver. This is done to show support for similar projects like the Toronto Pig Save, where people gather to witness animals before they enter slaughterhouses.

Liberation BC was even featured in VegNews magazine in December 2011 as one of "10 Nonprofits You Need to Know."

See also

• List of animal rights groups

News articles

• Killing Snow Geese is not the solution, December 4, 2012
• Vancouver animal-rights group protests dairy industry, May 9, 2012
• A Mother's Day story about milk cows and veal calves, May 7, 2010
• Where's the Lack of Beef?, May 29, 2009
• Vancouver should cut down on meat for planet: animal rights groups, March 11, 2009
• Foie gras is a cruel dish best left unserved, January 14, 2009
• Fur protest forces Bebe store to close, November 20, 2006