Brazil Mobilizes: A Nationwide Stand Against Live Animal Exports

by | Jun 18, 2026 | Animal Rights & Welfare, ShiftHappens

Last weekend, one of Brazil’s largest coordinated mobilizations against live animal exports brought activists to the streets in more than 29 cities across the country. The Pollination Project was proud to support three grantees contributing to this nationwide effort.

While the movement was driven by the commitment and leadership of activists and organizations across Brazil, TPP funding helped these grantees fund demonstrations in more than 29 cities, strengthen coordination efforts, support local organizers, expand outreach activities, and increase public awareness about the impacts of live animal exports.

A Coalition United by a Common Cause

The nationwide effort was coordinated by the coalition Não Exporte Vidas (Don’t Export Lives), with Fórum Animal and Mercy For Animals also playing coordinating roles, and with the support of organizations including Sea Shepherd Brasil, Animal Equality, Sinergia Animal, the Brazilian Vegetarian Society (SVB), Instituto Nina Rosa, Gaia Libertas and grassroots collectives such as Animalistas, Veddas and Vozes em Luto. Together, these groups mobilized volunteers, distributed educational materials, coordinated local demonstrations, and brought energy, commitment, and determination to the streets. With support from TPP, activists also traveled to major export ports — some journeying more than five hours each way — to bear witness where animals are loaded onto ships and to draw attention to a practice that remains largely hidden from public view.

Reaching Millions, Demanding Change

Beyond the demonstrations themselves, participating organizations provided thousands of informational materials and engaged directly with members of the public. In São Paulo, the demonstration also featured a powerful street theater performance coordinated by VEDDAS, helping bring visibility to the suffering endured by animals during transport. TPP also supported outreach efforts that amplified the campaign through major media channels and social media initiatives. Together, these efforts generated more than 1.1 million views and reached over 500,000 Instagram accounts, while elected officials and public figures further expanded the campaign’s visibility by sharing messages of support. The demonstrations also called on lawmakers to advance legislation currently under consideration in Brazil that seeks to ban or phase out the export of live animals.

The Power of Grassroots Action

From Belém to Porto Alegre, from Brasília to Rio de Janeiro, and in key port cities including Natal, São Sebastião, Rio Grande, and Imbituba, citizens stood together to say that animals deserve better. This is the power of grassroots action: when communities, organizations, and volunteers unite around a shared vision, they can bring national attention to issues that have long been overlooked. We are honored to support the activists, organizers, volunteers, and organizations working tirelessly to build a more compassionate future for animals in Brazil.

Please note: the photos featured in this post are from the São Paulo demonstration. The street theater performance was coordinated by VEDDAS, and all photos were provided by Fórum Nacional de Proteção e Defesa Animal. Similar actions took place simultaneously in more than 29 cities across Brazil.