DIY Vegan Zines & More in Berlin

I have just come back from a short trip to Berlin, Germany. I found that Berlin is something like vegan heaven, with so many vegan (or at least vegan friendly) restaurants, groceries, clothes/shoe shops and even a vegan supermarket.

Within the thriving DIY metal/punk scene in Berlin, the vegan movement is strong as fuck. I visited a couple of squats (Scharni 38 and Koepi) and the food options were aplenty and strictly vegan. At Scharni 38 me and the band were met with vegan goulash, curry soup and salad. At Koepi, there was vegan pizza made on the spot and awesome vegan cupcakes (one could say, cupXcakes).

But it's not all about filling your stomach and staying happy with that. On the night I spent in Koepi, they showed the movie Bold Native in the main room and they also had a huge table covered with vegan/animal rights publications.

It is awesome to visit a squat and be able to get information that is so hard to come by in other places of the world. Below are some zines I got from the zine table at Koepi, I recommend to all of you to search and find them:

• ITCHY FEET - VEGAN ETHICS AND WOLRD TRAVEL
• RESPECTING ANIMALS ... MEANS GOING VEGAN
• GOING UNDERGROUND ... FOR ANIMAL LIBERATION
• URBAN GUIDE TO LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY
• THE ANIMAL LIBERATION PRIMER

All these publications are crucial. I urge you to get them if you are into veganism and/or animal rights. The best thing about these publications, moreover, is that they are printed and reprinted with no copyright laws and any caring individual can photocopy and give them to more and more people. The copies I got may come from 10 or more reprints (I can tell from the slightly blurred fonts), which is so awesome!!!! Makes me think of a lineage of compassionate vegan activists out there...

Educate, reinstate, escalate!!!

KNOW MORE XVX

"Learn more, know more": This is the motto these guys go by and they know what they are talking about. I personally find that this little reblog below name-drops some pretty interesting organizations to check out, for those of us on a never ending quest to learn and widen the concept of what it means to live compassionately in this world.

Enjoy music, enjoy vegan anarchist activism!

Smell Pot?

So a couple of days ago it was edge day, and we celebrated like we celebrate everyday: by staying radical and fucking sober. I am just glad that I can be here and say F*CK DRUGS and F*CK DRUG CULTURE. It's so simple and fulfilling!

It's EDGE DAY 2011!!!

It's My War

Στη χώρα που ζούμε, ο βιγκανισμός και το straight edge αντιμετωπίζονται ή με μίσος ή με κοροϊδία. Δεν έχουμε ακόμα φτάσει στο σημείο να αποποιηθούμε τα ταμπού μας και να σκεφτούμε διαφορετικά, δεν είμαστε ανοιχτοί σε ιδέες που πάνε ενάντια σε αυτά που μας είπαν. Μέχρι πότε;

Η ακραία μουσική και το επαναστατικό, θετικό μήνυμα γίνονται τελικά τρόπος ζωής (Vegan SXE). Για μένα αυτός ο συνδυασμός δουλεύει, και θα τον κρατήσω. Υπάρχουν τόσες άλλες επιρροές, τόσες περισπάσεις, όλα είναι αντίθετα. Κι όμως... όταν θα γυρίσουμε πλάτη στα πιστεύω μας, θα φταίμε μόνο εμείς οι ίδιοι, κι όχι οι περιστάσεις.

MY ONLY DRUG IS MADNESS

LET'S NOT FORGET! Being vegan is not about being a weak vegetable muncher, all nice and conserved and just care a lot about animals. I see it more as a choice which is pretty extreme compared to society's standards and therefore attracts like-minded people. People who have their bullshit detector on point and who want to know what's up. I don't like vegans who have their quiet set of beliefs, who lack nerve and passion, or who are some kind of hipsters who are doing it for the fashion. Especially the last! I'd more like to think of vegans (and straight edgers, of course) as people who are thinkers, not afraid to provoke, maybe a bit bold, a little crazy, perhaps even a little eccentric, and who are fighting the good fight with enthusiasm and ongoing dedication.. And that's the way I like it. It's this kind of people who will take animal rights and the drug-free ethos onto a new level.

Fuck conservatism!