Draft:Cube of Truth

A cube of truth, also knows as a Freedom Formation, Earthling Experience, or WTF Diamond, is a form of peaceful animal rights activism performed globally, aimed at exposing people to the reality of animal farming and slaughter. Anonymous for the Voiceless runs these with the name Cube of Truth, while similar formats are run by other organisations under different names.

In a cube of truth activists hold up a screen or sign that shows graphic footage of animal farming and slaughter, sometimes wearing a mask, in a public space. They stand back to back, and can form a square, hence "cube". Meanwhile, unmasked members talk to people showing interest in the footage.

History

According to The Eartlings Experience, the first cube started in 2010. Two activist carrying screens that show the documentary Earthlings on the London underground. They found that people were talking to them more than watching the footage. The solution they found was to wear plain white masks, with those on people started focusing on the footage. With more activists joining over time they moved above ground to Leicester Square and other regular spots, where the activists holding the screens and placards standing in a formation, including a square, circle or line.

In 2016, Anonymous for the Voiceless (AV), and animal rights organisation, was founded and inspired by the Earthlings Experience, started running these events under the name Cube of Truth. They introduced a fixed format including Guy Fawkes masks, black clothing, and signs stating "Truth" for activists joining the cube. From here the charity and the use of cubes of thruth spread across the globe in a matter of years. By the end of 2018, AV had about 900 chapters in 80 countries around the world.

How it works

In a cube of truth activists hold up a screen or sign, standing still, while facing the screens outward so passers-by can see them. These activist form a formation such as a square, and can also take other shapes depending on the location and number of activists and screens. On the screens is a loop of graphic footage of animals on farms and in slaughterhouses. Meanwhile, unmasked members are nearby to talk to people showing interest to the footage, and sometimes handing out flyers. The intended purpose of the cube is to educate passers by on what is done to animals, and to convince them to stop contributing to it.

Any size cube is possible, a single screen with one person holding it and another nearby to talk is sufficient to start a cube. Anything larger is possible as well, with one event in Amsterdam having a single cube consisting of about 150 people standing in the square formation, and another claiming to draw about 1000 activists in San Francisco in 2018 forming multiple cubes in a single event.

Footage

The footages shows animals on farms and slaughterhouses. It includes animals typically farmed/caught for food, such as pigs, cows, chickens, and fish, as well as animals killed for clothing, or kept for entertainment. This displays what is considered standard practice in the animal industry in typically well developed countries, especially the US, UK, and Australia. The footage is graphic and regularly makes people watching it react "shocked and disgusted". The exact footage shown can differ per organisation, event and location. Anonymous for the Voiceless plays a 4 minute clip named "A Thousand Eyes" that it has standardised across the globe.

While in most places this footage can lawfully be shown in public, in at least two Australian states, it was deemed "too offensive to be shown in public".