Direct Action Everywhere

Background and Agenda

Direct Action Everywhere is a network of animal liberation extremists whose mission is “to achieve revolutionary social and political change for animals in one generation,” by which it means, “until every animal is free” from human use. The group has drawn significant attention and condemnation for its use of extremist tactics, including actions that have resulted in criminal convictions for its founder and other leaders. 

DxE has published a 40-year “roadmap” to achieve animal liberation. The roadmap includes an “Animal Bill of Rights” and getting a court to recognize that “animals are persons under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution.”

Activities and Scandals

DxE has become notorious for its willingness to conduct aggressive campaigns and break laws. 

DxE has engaged in aggressive protests inside grocery stores and even outside of the private homes of its targets. In one instance, DxE activists protested outside the home of a poultry company executive. The protest included a picture of the executive with the text bubble, “I torture chickens.” 

DxE advocates what it calls “open rescue,” which is a euphemism for stealing livestock from farms. DxE founder Wayne Hsiung has been convicted of three felonies for his activism, while another, Zoe Rosenberg, was convicted in California of charges related to stealing chickens from a farm. DxE believes it has a “right to rescue” livestock from farms. 

The organization has also faced allegations of sexual misconduct. According to the New Yorker, “Since at least 2015, DxE has been hit with a series of allegations of internal discrimination and sexual misconduct, including accusations that Hsiung, as one of the group’s leaders, did not deal with these conflicts in a satisfactory manner.” 

Funding

Direct Action Everywhere raises money on its website for a nonprofit named “Friends of DxE,” which “provides grants for DxE’s campaigns.”

Friends of DxE has received funding from:

• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an infamous animal rights organization known for killing pets;
• Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, a reported “cult leader” with a mysterious fortune who promotes veganism
• Several “dark money” donor-advised funds, which make grants on behalf of anonymous funders. This includes more than $1.4 million in 2022 and $1.1 million in 2023. 

A separate nonprofit named “Direct Action Everywhere” also operates in Berkeley, California, with an annual budget of approximately $450,000.