Residents March through Berkeley in Support of Measure DD to Ban Factory Farms

If passed, Measure DD will make Berkeley the first city in the U.S. to ban factory farms

Supporters of Measure DD march through Berkeley on September 22, 2024. (Credit: Michelle Del Cueto)

PHOTOS (Credit: Michelle Del Cueto)

VIDEOS (Credit: Carla Cabral)

September 22, 2024, Berkeley, CA - On Sunday afternoon, over 50 people marched through the streets of Berkeley to show support for Measure DD, a citizen-initiated ballot measure to ban Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), commonly referred to as factory farms, in Berkeley. The march, which was organized by the grassroots animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) and Compassionate Bay, included UC Berkeley students, local health professionals, and climate activists. 

Berkeley’s only CAFO, the Golden Gate Fields (GGF) horse racing track, officially closed in June 2024 following years of protests over horse deaths, and activists say Measure DD is necessary to ensure that no facility like it opens in Berkeley in the future. The stables at GGF confined up to 1,400 horses at a time, and hundreds of young horses died there over the years. 

In November, Berkeley will be the first city in the nation to vote on banning CAFOs and supporters say it could have groundbreaking implications for animals everywhere.

Supporters say this step could pave the way for other municipalities, the state, and even the country to transition away from intensive animal agriculture. Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that factory farms harm animals, the environment, workers, and the public at large. 

The 1.5 mile march began at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park and wrapped through downtown Berkeley before ending back at the park. Marchers held “Yes on DD” signs and gave out leaflets about the measure to interested residents. 

"Billions of animals are cruelly confined in factory farms every year in the United States. Right now, Berkeley has the chance to take a stand against factory farming and pave the way for the nation to follow," said Krishna Desai, President of Berkeley Law’s Animal Legal Defense Fund.

“Golden Gate Fields has shut down its horse racing operations and now Berkeley is free of factory farming. Let’s ensure that it stays that way by supporting Measure DD. When I used to drive past Golden Gate Fields, I could see it, smell it, and feel the suffering. It always saddened me to think of the animals trapped inside. Factory farms are places where animals suffer. They’re denied their natural behaviors,” said Diana Navon, a UC Berkeley alumna and longtime Berkeley resident, in a speech during the march.

Measure DD is supported by Kate Harrison, Jovanka Beckles, Cheryl Davila, and many other community leaders, as well as local organizations including the Green Party of Alameda County, Wellstone Club, and East Bay Animal PAC.

The full text of Measure DD can be seen here.