"Despite being left off the poster and the speakers invitation list"

There was me thinking the idea was to increase unity, has this issue been addressed with organisers? I imagine Notts AR have tried to sort this out, so fair play for pointing this out on IMC - hopefully others will get the message if they didn't listen initally. Big shame.

Can any Notts organisers of the mayday event discuss this here, reasons why etc? It might seem like this is a minor issue, but when you've been served food for 20 yrs, regardless of your opinions of vegan food, there is an idea called respect - with leads to unity.

.......for not having Veggies on the flyer. It is a simple oversight not a deliberate decision. However the flyer has been circulating for well over a month now and this is the first time the oversight has been raised with just 5 days to go to the event so it is too late to rectify it now.
The vegan food I have had is lovely stuff by the way.
Dave, on behalf of the MayDay organisers.

Ethical concerns are frequently summarized into three broad categories: Human rights, Animal Rights and the Environment.

Marketing for Mayday has significant Human rights and Environment content and absolutely ZERO animal rights content.

Is that an accident?

Not surprisingly, campaigners with an AR focus are unimpressed.

One struggle, one fight.
Suffering is suffering, whatever the race, gender or species.

Locally, let alone nationally, there are a thousand and one issues/causes/campaigns etc. that need to be addressed but we have very limited time at the MayDay rally to fit them in as speakers. There will be many such groups at the event who would all, and justifiably, claim the right to speak but will not be doing simply because there is not the time. Why have you suddenly decided to have a go at us because animal rights campaigners have not been invited?
There are just four of us organising this event in between going to work, our regular daily campaign work and a host of the other mundane things that constitute daily life.
Perhaps you could do what the others are doing and come along with a stall and information and get your message across that way. In fact we invite you to do so. All we ask is £5 to help towards the costs that putting this on incurs.
See you Saturday?
Dave.

Dave, these comments are not a personal attack.

Many of us work hard on thankless activism and as a consequence the world is very slightly more benign.

Ok, perhaps we should be more sensitive when phrasing feedback/commentary... Guilty. It is easy to criticize.

Whatever, you cannot reasonable count the entirety of animal rights as "one of a thousand causes"... :(

Imagine a mayday poster with no environmental references or no human rights references! Well that is the equivalent. The big three are not "one of a thousand causes" but broad categories containing a thousand causes within each.

Don't be upset, nice one for your very much appreciated hard work! but perhaps in future years you might consider giving AR proportionate propaganda space.

I am sure that no disrespect was intended by the passing reference to Veggies being left off the poster for the MayDay Rally. Many of the event's hard working volunteer organisers are some of Veggies longest supporters, as are the dedicated campaigners from Nottingham's Animal Rights who, more than any other group, pitch in with the actual work involved in getting the food out there.

Brighton's awesome campaign caterers, Anarchist Teapot, from whom Veggies draws much inspiration, have sometimes felt like a slot machine from which people automatically expect to be fed, but like them Veggies is an integral part of the movement, largely run by campaigners and volunteers, keeping everyone else sustained on the streets, in the fields and at numerous events in Nottingham and far afield.

Sometime there is a cheery "we love you Veggies!" as we drive away, but sometime we can feel taken for granted. It is refreshing to see that people look out for Veggies' interests.

In the comment 'Unity?', veg@n asks 'has this issue been addressed with organisers?' Unfortunately not. With so many events to organise for, together with maintaining website that gives many groups their only public face, time keeps on slipping into the future.

Life is too short to fall out, and the challenges we face too great and pressing, so we look forward to another 25 years of mutual support between Veggies and all the other groups with which we work, starting with the MayDay Rally on Saturday (and the Greenpeace / Tibet / water aid / Oxfam fundraising Ashleyhey Festival which Veggies is supporting at the same time:  http://www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=1412)


Nottingham MayDay event details:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/03/424759.html

Veggies Tour Dates:  http://www.veggies.org.uk/vegevents.htm