Liberation BC is a non-profit animal rights organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, founded in 2004. Liberation BC is run entirely by volunteers and has an e-mail network of over 1000 supporters.
Liberation BC has been involved in several major campaigns since its beginning; from 2004 until 2007, it staged weekly demonstrations at local KFCs in conjunction with PETA's "Kentucky Fried Cruelty" campaign. This campaign ended when KFC Canada announced that it would improve its animal welfare standards[1].
During the winter of 2006-2007, its focus was on clothing chain Bebe for selling fur. In late 2007, Bebe announced that it would no longer sell fur products as of the winter of 2008. Liberation BC has also been involved in protests against the Cloverdale Rodeo, which in May 2007 dropped four of its major events after years of cruelty accusations from local animal rights groups. In May 2007, Liberation BC activists entered the rodeo ring with banners in an attempt to interrupt the rodeo, and were carried out by security guards and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). This action was repeated in August 2008 at the Abbotsford Rodeo.
Throughout 2008 and into 2009, Liberation BC focused on gathering support for a ban on foie gras in Vancouver, as well as general animal rights outreach at various community festivals and events. In March 2009, the group issued a letter[2] requesting that Vancouver's "Greenest City Action Team" acknowledge the impact that meat consumption has upon the environment, and asked that they recommend that citizens reduce their consumption of animal products. The letter was also signed by the Vancouver Humane Society, Humane Society International Canada, Earthsave Canada, and the Lifeforce Foundation.
In 2009, the group began the Cow Ribbon Campaign for Mother's Day. The public was encouraged to purchase Holstein-patterned ribbons from the website and wear them to start conversations about the conditions of mother cows and calves in the dairy industry. Online, individuals in the animal rights community placed an image of the ribbon on their Twitter or Facebook profiles with a link to CowRibbon.com.
In 2010, the group began to focus on building a stronger animal rights community in Vancouver, holding community dialogue events regularly and using the "Unconference" and "World Cafe" models to do so. The group also began a film screening series, titled "Eyes Wide Open", which shows free animal rights films at the Vancouver Public Library four times a year. Volunteers are also involved in public outreach on a regular basis, holding information tables at many events in the Vancouver area, including farmers markets, environmental fairs, and local celebrations.
Since 2007, Liberation BC has also hosted the annual Vancouver Walk for Farm Animals, which raises money for Farm Sanctuary.