David Barbarash Fonds/Collection
Biographical History
David Barbarash (1964–) was the North American press officer for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) from mid-1999 until late-2002. He also founded the North American Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group in Toronto in the early 1980s. He began Ekomedia (later retitled Ecomedia) in Toronto in 1984, an alternative/anarchist wire service inspired by BC Blackout. Ecomedia published the Anti-Authoritarian News, later the Ecomedia Bulletin, which ran until 1992. He has a long history of militant direct action focusing on animal rights and has endured police raids, jail, surveillance and harassment. Concerning animal rights, Barbarash has stated: “Just because they can’t speak up for themselves doesn’t mean that we have the right to do whatever we please to them.” (Source, ALF David Barbarash interview)
Scope and Content
Fonds reflects Barbarash’s activities relating to anarchism generally and the animal rights movement specifically: articles, brochures and pamphlets, clippings, court documents, correspondence, personal notes, zines, and subject files. Subjects include: animal rights, ALF, Earth First!, legal proceedings, logging, marijuana legalization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), pro-gun lobby, trophy hunting, and the Vancouver 5.