Report from the AR2009 International Animal Rights Gathering in Oslo 25th to 28th June:  Activists from all over the world travelled to Oslo and enjoyed a wonderful weekend of interesting and inspiring talks, debates and workshops along with some great entertainment and some very tasty vegan food.
 
Around 300 activists attended, from over 20 countries, Including: Austria, Spain, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Holland, UK, Denmark, New Zealand, USA, Russia, Estonia, France, Poland, Ireland, Israel, Belgium, Czech Republic and Australia.
 
We were really lucky with the weather, which was hot and sunny all weekend, the hottest days in Norway this year.
 
Each of the three full days of the programme was given a particular theme which was a new and interesting concept. On Friday it was about Direct Action, on Saturday it was International Networking and Activism working across borders, and on Sunday it was about Fighting Repression.
 
There were also some really interesting info stalls from different countries, so we were able to find out more about activism from various parts of the world.
 
The food was great, three tasty and filling vegan meals a day provided by the excellent and hard working kitchen crew, as well as several stalls from different countries selling vegan snacks, cakes etc.
 
There was also plenty of time for socialising. On the Friday evening we had an international football tournament on a nearby sports field, facilities were super with a proper astro-turf pitch and five a side goals. On Saturday we had a really nice barbeque outside in the sun. Later there was a concert with some local bands, followed by a disco which was very popular. There was also the chance for lots of people to travel out to some beautiful lakes for some swimming too, and this was also really popular.
 
On the Monday after the gathering 70-80 activists who were still around took part in some great demos at fur shops in Oslo. In between the demos there were impromptu and vibrant anti-fur marches as well.
 
There was so much which happened at the gathering that it's difficult to pick out the highlights. Most of all it was a great chance for hundreds of activists from many different countries to come together to share experiences, skills and tactics, to make new contacts and friendships, and to plan new campaigns and build networks for a better and more compassionate future.
 
If you attended the gathering, please send your own comments and feedback, what was good about it and any constructive criticism, to info@activistgathering.net This will help to make future gatherings even better.
 
Next year we plan to hold the gathering in Italy, so we hope to see many of you there.

The purpose of the Animal Rights Gathering
The International Animal Rights Gatherings plays a vital role in  promoting international cooperation between activists, helping to strengthen ties and plan campaigns. The Gatherings contains a variety of workshops, movies, discussions, vegan food, stalls and other activities focusing on various kinds of animal rights activism. The Gatherings are organized by volunteering activists.

• Read a article about the AR2009 in norwegian