Frequently asked questions

The conference will be held at Studio Theatre located at 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. The conference will take place from Friday, May 15, 2026 - Sunday, May 17, 2026.

The summit includes presentations, panels, and workshops from 10am - 4pm followed by street actions each day.

All ages are welcome to attend. Children aged 3 & under attend for free. Children aged 4 & above require a ticket according to venue policy. Kindly email us before booking for guidance on ticketing options. Minors must be supervised at all times and must leave the conference by 6pm.

We ask that you avoid this if at all possible, but if it is critical for your wellbeing or that of your companion you may. Please note that the protests following the conference are loud events with megaphones and whistles. Non-human animals and human babies may not attend the protests under any circumstances.

We are not currently accepting sponsorships for the summit. If you would like to donate, please consider donating directly to the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT).

Please email us at garsummit@i-caw.org with any questions and our team will be happy to help.

Yes! Everyone registered agrees to the GAR Summit Code of Conduct as outlined below:
As an attending member of the Grassroots Animal Rights Summit (“GAR Summit” or “Event”), co-organized by Animal Activism Collective (“AAC”), the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (“CAFT USA”), and the International Council for Animal Welfare (“ICAW”) (collectively, the “Event Organizers, we, or us”) you must carefully read this event agreement (“Agreement”) and agree to its terms. For purposes of this Agreement, you and the Tour Organizers shall be individually referred to as a “Party,” and collectively, as the “Parties.” 

By signing this Agreement, you acknowledge and agree that you are responsible for your own safety, and the safety of your possessions/belongings while at the Event. You agree not to hold AAC, CAFT, ICAW liable for any losses, damages, or injuries to your person or property, and you assume all risks associated with your participation in the event. 

You also acknowledge and agree that the Event Organizers reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to make executive decisions for the well-being of the group, including asking any attendee to leave at any time. In the case of immediate removal, you acknowledge that you are responsible for all travel expenses to return home.

This Agreement governs all activities that take place during the Event, including while attending the summit workshops and event actions.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. I understand that I am responsible for my own safety, and the safety of my possessions/belongings while at the Event. I will not hold AAC, CAFT, or ICAW liable for any losses, damages, or injuries to my person or property, and I assume all risks associated with my participation in the Event. 

2. I understand that my health and safety is solely my own responsibility at all times during this event. By attending, I am recognizing that AAC, CAFT, ICAW or any other associated organization or individual are not responsible for my health or safety. I hereby hold harmless, agree to indemnify, and waive and release from liability the Event Organizers or any other related associated organization or individual for any damages, losses, or other injuries to my person or property, whether caused by me or any third party, except for any losses caused by the gross negligence or intentional actions or omissions of the Event Organizers. In such instances, the amount of allowable recovery shall not exceed the purchase price of the GAR Summit’s ticket.

3. I agree to abide by all federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations while participating in the event. 

4. I agree that I will follow all event rules, including not bringing illegal substances to this event or showing up to actions under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. I understand that not following the rules is grounds for immediate removal from the event of all actions that are a part of this event. In the case of immediate removal I am responsible for travel expenses to return home. I warrant and certify that I am registering for the event in good-faith and not for any improper purpose, including but limited to thwarting the plans of the event organizers, sabotaging the event, sharing confidential information, strategies, targets, or activities regarding the Event with any third party or entity, or harming the Event organizers' current and future nationwide activist campaigns and projects. I hereby agree to preserve the confidentiality of any sensitive, confidential, or proprietary information about the Event. I acknowledge that a breach of this agreement will cause irreparable and continuing damage to the tour and the Event organizers, for which money damages are highly speculative and inadequate. I agree that for any breach by me of the terms of this agreement, injunctive relief is appropriate in addition to any damages provided by law. Additionally, I agree to pay five thousand dollars ($5,000) as liquidated damage for each  breach or violation of this agreement, in addition to any other relief deemed appropriate by a court of law. 

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

We are here to help animals in a safe, lawful, and comfortable environment. Behavior that puts others at unnecessary risk detracts from our core mission and will not be tolerated. These behaviors include:

• Fighting or threatening violence including physical injury

• Using obscene, abusive or threatening language or gestures

• Engaging in behavior that subjects another person to emotional distress

• Gossiping or spreading rumors about others

• Negligence, vandalism, or destruction to property, rental vehicles, and rental housing

• Violation of safety or health rules

• Sexual or other unlawful or unwelcome harassment

• Theft of any kind

• Attending an action or event under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, or bringing illegal drugs into any event space

• Unauthorized disclosure of any confidential information

• Bringing an unauthorized firearm or other weapon to any event activity, or threatening to use or using a weapon while at the event

• Any action or omission that violates any local, state, or federal law

By participating in the event, you agree not to engage in any of the above-listed behaviors. 

SECURITY CULTURE + CONFIDENTIALITY

• Event Organizers will outline the expected security culture protocols immediately at the start of the event, which include, but are not limited to:

  • Not sharing ANY locations, names, or details surrounding an action unless explicitly instructed otherwise.

  • Not talking to police unless you have been designated to do so.

  • Not calling activists by their government names at actions or elsewhere.

  • Not sharing personal information about other activists unless permitted by the other activists.

  • Announcing when you are “going live” on social media at actions.

  • Not sharing anything mentioned in Signal chats or private threads publicly or with people not registered to the event. 

• If an Event Organizer feels that you are disregarding security culture, or repeatedly putting other activists or the event in harm's way, event organizers reserve the right to ban you from the event and implement a permanent ban from future events and actions. 

Complaint Procedure

Event Organizers strongly encourage the reporting of all instances of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed harassment or discrimination based on sex, race, national origin, disability, or another factor, promptly report the incident to an event organizer. If you believe it would be inappropriate to discuss the matter with an Event Organizer, report it directly to Katie, kschloer@i-caw.org, the COO at ICAW. Any reported allegations of harassment or discrimination will be investigated promptly, thoroughly, and impartially. The Event Organizers will keep the investigation confidential to the extent possible to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation. If you are seen as the aggressor or antagonizer for any conflict, Event Organizers reserve the right to take into account the best interest of the activists, which may involve asking you to leave the event. 

Retaliation Prohibited

Event Organizers expressly prohibit retaliation against any individual who reports discrimination or harassment, or assists in investigating such charges. 

ATTENDEES

Along with the summit, attendees are invited to participate in protests. The actions will be very loud and high intensity actions so we ask that you do not bring any infants or non-human animals to the actions.

Activists Under 18

• Activists of any age are welcome to attend actions.

• Event Organizers are not responsible for unattended minors and assume no legal risk or responsibility for anyone under 18 left unattended at actions. 

MISCELLANEOUS TERMS

1. You hereby grant to the Event Organizers, collectively and individually, the license and rights to use photographs, videos, or likenesses of you engaged in event activities, without limitation, globally, and in perpetuity. 

2. You hereby assign and grant a global license, free of charge and in perpetuity, to the Event Organizers for any photographs or videos taken by you of any tour activities, for marketing and activism purposes.

3. You agree that there is no principal-agent or employer-employee relationship between you and any of the tour organizers. It is hereby expressly understood and agreed upon that each Party shall bear the liability for its own non-compliance with any requirement under pertinent laws, rules, and regulations, and each Party shall render free and harmless the other Parties from any responsibility whatsoever for such non-compliance.

4. The Parties agree that for any violation by you of this Agreement, particularly with respect to confidentiality other intellectual property rights, the non-breaching Party/ Parties would suffer irreparable injury for which there is no adequate and complete remedy at law, and the non-breaching Party/ Parties shall be entitled to injunctive relief in addition to any remedies available at law.

5. If any provision of this Agreement is found to be unenforceable or invalid under any applicable law, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions, which shall continue in full force and effect. The Parties agree to replace any invalid provision with a valid provision that most closely approximates the intent and effect of the invalid provision.

6. The failure of any Party to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of future enforcement of that or any other provision. No waiver by any Party of any breach of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing and signed by the waiving Parties.

7. The Event Organizers reserve the right to revise or modify the Code of Conduct at any time and in their sole discretion. Continued participation in the Event signifies your acceptance of the new terms. 

8. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Pennsylvania, USA, without regard to conflicts of law principles. 

9. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the Parties and supersedes all oral statements or prior writings except those specifically identified herein.

10. This Agreement becomes effective immediately upon acceptance.