The Animal Turn S1E6: Ag-Gag Laws with Siobhan O’Sullivan
May 19, 2020
In this insightful discussion, Siobhan O’Sullivan, a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and animal welfare advocate, unpacks the controversial Ag-Gag laws and their emergence in Australia. She shares her journey in animal studies and the creation of the iROAR podcast network to promote animal issues. The conversation highlights the challenges activists face in exposing factory farming practices and the critical need for visibility in animal welfare advocacy. O’Sullivan emphasizes the tension between community values and political structures, urging for greater accountability in confronting these laws.
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Path From Activism To Scholarship
- Siobhan O'Sullivan described becoming involved in animal advocacy as a student and working for a small animal charity before doing a PhD on animal issues.
- Her early activism and academic path led directly into a career researching animal welfare policy and podcasting.
Ag-Gag Laws Reduce Public Visibility
- Ag-gag laws emerged to make activist trespass and undercover filming more difficult and to protect industrial farming from public scrutiny.
- These laws double down on existing trespass rules and restrict visibility into animal agriculture, weakening democratic oversight.
Open Rescue And Successful Exposés
- Siobhan recounts Australian "open rescue" tactics where activists enter facilities openly and accept legal consequences to expose abuses.
- She gives examples: restrictions on pig tethering, live export exposés, and greyhound racing investigations that led to regulatory responses.
