INVESTIGATIONS
Anonymous initiated field research in order to become directly familiarized with the animals which the organization aims at helping. Since the beginning of 2001, our activists have surveyed numerous agricultural facilities where animals are exploited. These included hatcheries, farms for geese, ducks, pigs, dairy cows and calves, battery systems for hens as well as organic hen farms, slaughterhouses and more. We documented our findings with photographs and on video. The visits enabled us to bring the issues to the public's attention through media exposure, and were used to support legal initiatives. The video footage was also used for our educational movies, and the photos were the basis for setting up our picture gallery (over 3,000 pictures were taken on farms and in Anonymous events last year). Especially noteworthy are the systematic visits to geese force-feeding farms which have had a decisive role in the legal campaign to abolish this practice.MEDIA
In the year 2001, there was a breakthrough in Anonymous' media exposure. The main items were: in January, our demonstration against a geese force-feeding facility was covered by the national television news; in February, two Anonymous activists were interviewed regarding the egg industry on a Channel 2 morning show; in April, an exposure regarding the veal calf industry was featured on an investigation show during prime time on Channel 1; in June, a news item regarding the force-feeding of geese was shown on Channel 1 News; in August, two Anonymous activists were interviewed regarding their activities in Anonymous on a youth show on Channel 2; in September, Channel 1 News aired an item concerning veal calves; in November, on cable TV, a long debate regarding vegetarianism was screened which included an Anonymous member as one of the participants; in December, Channel 2 News aired an item on the abuse of animals on agricultural farms. In the written media, the highlight in January was an article in a leading youth magazine regarding Anonymous activists, a series of articles on the egg industry in February, an article about vegetarianism in a youth magazine, and, during the course of the second half of the year, parallel articles in 'Living News' (a magazine for animal lovers) and in the news on the Internet. Reports on Anonymous activities also appeared in Israel's leading daily newspapers, in Russian and English newspapers published in Israel, in local radio stations, and on local cable TV shows. Two documentary films produced by Anonymous were screened weekly, for a few months, on the Community TV Channel.LECTURES
Special emphasis was placed last year on holding lectures and on their scope. Anonymous held 44 lectures, mainly in schools, nation-wide. Towards the end of the year a flyer was distributed in schools, promoting the school lecture program. In addition, 21 lectures were given at the Anonymous center in Tel Aviv, with the highlight being an eight-week seminar titled 'The Most Oppressed Class'.EDUCATIONAL STANDS
An information stand, operating daily in the center of Tel Aviv, was set up at the end of 2000 and continued operation throughout 2001. The stand includes a complex picture gallery and a television, screening movies exposing the horrors of the animal industry. In Jerusalem, stands are operated twice a week. In addition, information tables were set up in various events, such as 'Earth Day', nature festivals, 'Buy Nothing Day', events marking the start of the academic year, 'Green Days' in universities and schools, and more.PUBLICATIONS
- Internet magazine. Starting in the second half of 2001, a weekly magazine is electronically distributed every Friday. The magazine includes research, news, invitations to activities, discussions, site links, and tips on vegan nutrition and cooking. The weekly magazine has over 6,500 subscribers, and continues to grow rapidly. Also on the Internet - three forums for animal rights and vegetarianism, two of them managed by Anonymous for Animal Rights members, began operating in 2001 on the leading Israeli portals, and a web site protesting against the force-feeding of geese was created.
- Movies. Anonymous produced three short documentaries this year. Two of the films, about the force-feeding of geese and veal calf industries, were screened weekly on the Community Channel on cable television. Recently, a movie about the egg industry was produced and will be screened shortly, also on the Community Channel.
- Spring Quarterly 2001. The magazine is the largest produced by Anonymous thus far: 28 pages and the largest distribution: 9,000 copies.
- Nutrition booklet. During the second half of 2001, the Anonymous publication staff wrote and edited a nutrition booklet. The booklet contains vegan recipes, tips for cooking without using animal ingredients and information on vegan nutrition. The booklet was distributed to members in 2002.
- Other Publications. Additional written publications, which Anonymous produced in 2001, include booklets about the exploitation of animals in the entertainment and in the fashion industries, colorful flyers about animal-product industries, an improved catalogue, a flyer about the force-feeding of geese (both in monochrome and in full color), two types of stickers protesting the force-feeding of geese, the 'Did your Food have a Face?' flyer, a brochure about lectures to schools, a flyer against Burger King, "Happy New Year" postcards, the September newsletter, a flyer and poster for the geese demonstration and a T-shirt: 'Stop the force-feeding of geese'.
LAW AND LEGISLATION
Preceding a meeting of the Education Committee of the Israeli Parliament on the force-feeding of ducks, and for the first time in its history, Anonymous undertook organized lobbying activities. These initiatives were fruitful. The committee unanimously decided to reject regulations, proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture, regarding the force-feeding of ducks. The committee decided that only regulations abolishing this industry within a year would be acceptable. In a previous meeting, in January 2001, the Committee had approved regulations which permitted the force-feeding of geese, but limited the growth of the industry for a period of three years. Anonymous for Animal Rights has produced two important reports on the force-feeding of water birds. "Cruelty Unregulated" and "Feeding Us Lies" were presented to the Education Committee and attached to the Supreme Court appeal to ban the force-feeding of geese. Anonymous also filed a criminal complaint with the police regarding the rearing of calves for veal. This brought on an investigation by the Officer in Charge of the Animal Protection Act in the Ministry of Agriculture. Additional Knesset debates, in which Anonymous activists participated, discussed the starvation of egg-laying hens, the Dogs Bill, the killing of 'spent' laying hens, and animal experiments. Anonymous filed an objection to a building plan in Jerusalem, in a valley which is home to a herd of gazelles. In the precedent objection Anonymous claims that in approving a building plan, the authority should take into consideration the interests of the animals living in the area. The objection resulted in the cancellation of the building permits that had been issued.EVENTS
The main event which took place this year was the demonstration against the force-feeding of geese, which was held at the end of July in Tel Aviv. It was the event with the largest number of participants in the history of Anonymous: approximately 400 people were present. The demonstration included, among other things, speeches by a Minister and a Member of Parliament.On February 25th, 2001, an artists' convention was held in the Simta Theatre in Jaffa. There were about 10 artists, a film was screened, vegetarian food was served, and more. Approximately 100 people attended the event.
On March 24th, 2001, we celebrated 'Meatout' - a day without meat, in the center of Tel Aviv. Plenty of vegetarian food was distributed to hundreds of passersby. The Israeli Meatout was part of a worldwide celebration coordinated by FARM (USA).