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Animal Liberation Media Coverage
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Activists Destroy Oregon Fur Farm; Raided Previously Twice Before	July 28, 2010
*KATU News:* Fires and explosions rocked a property early Monday morning east of Astoria that has been targeted in the past by animal rights activists, and late Wednesday night the North American Animal Liberation group claimed responsibility for the attack. In a press release, the group said they used eight incendiary devices to start fires. The fires destroyed a boat and melted its fiberglass hull, and nearby, a family sedan was apparently set on fire. In a barn at the back of the property, a couple of forklifts, a small front-end loader and the building itself were also charred. The fires and explosions woke Henry Pelto from his sleep at three in the morning.“It was a huge explosion and it rattled the whole house,” Pelto said. “And it kind of rattled the whole neighborhood. And after that, there was some muffled booms and then a couple of shotgun-loud booms.” more... *The Oregonian:* Underground saboteurs claimed responsibility today for the firebombing on Tuesday of a mink farm near Astoria, the first arson attack by animal-rights activists in Oregon in years. "We delivered eight incendiary devices to the lovely folks at Ylipeltos Fur Farm," the arsonists claimed in an anonymous communique. "It is nice to see that the enslavement, torture, and death of thousands of innocent creatures affords certain people luxuries like boats, nice cars, and various (expensive, no doubt) farm machinery, and we were more than happy to alleviate them of these," they wrote. The communique, published online by the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, said the arsonists simultaneously attacked the front and rear of the mink farm to leave an impression on those subjugating animals for profit. The fires reportedly damaged a building, boat, car, two forklifts and a front-end loader at 92659 Simonsen Loop Road. But Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin said the property owners had gotten rid of their mink after activists broke in and released many of their animals. more... *Associated Press:* Animal rights activists are claiming responsibility for the firebombing of what they say is a mink farm near Astoria, Ore. Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin says the residents got rid of their mink after earlier attacks. An unsigned communique claiming responsibility for Tuesday's attack was published online by the North American Animal Liberation Press Office. It said, "We delivered eight incendiary devices to the lovely folks at Ylipelto's Fur Farm." The fires reportedly damaged a building, a boat, a car, two forklifts and a front-end loader. more... *Portland Examiner:* Early this morning, explosions rocked Henry Pelto awake on his property east of Astoria. "It was a huge explosion and it rattled the whole house," Pelto said. "And it kind of rattled the whole neighborhood. And after that, there was some muffled booms and then a couple of shotgun-loud booms." The explosions and resulting fires destroyed a boat on the property, melting the fiberglass hull, and also set fire to the Pelto's sedan. Toward the back of the property, in a barn, two forklifts and a small end-loader were also damaged. Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigators along with detectives from the Clatsop County Sheriff's Office carefully searched the site for evidence. more... *Daily Astorian:* The Animal Liberation Front has taken responsibility for the attack at the former Ylipelto Mink Farm in Svensen. In an anonymous Internet post on the North American Animal Liberation Press Office's website, the group said it snuck onto the property of Eeva Ylipelto on the morning of July 26 and exploded eight molotov cocktails. In all, the bombs destroyed a boat, a car, two forklifts and a front-end loader. A barn was also fire damaged, but the Knappa-Svensen Fire Department was able to put out the flames before the building burned down. The Internet post condemns the Ylipeltos' operations and a headline above it claims, the farm was "destroyed." However, Henry Pelto, the son of Eeva Ylipelto, who lives on the property with his wife, Sheri, said that there haven't been mink on the property since December. In a KATU news broadcast Tuesday, Pelto showed a camera crew around the property and pointed out the area where the cages used to stand, but have since been taken down. more...
Court Attempts to Garnish Wages of Peter Young to Pay Fur Farm Restitution; Animal Abusers Incensed at Young's Lack of Remorse	July 23, 2010
*Associated Press:* Federal prosecutors are hoping to garnish the wages of a prominent animal rights activist who freed mink from Midwestern fur farms and has earned money giving speeches about the case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker in Madison on Monday granted a prosecutor's application to garnish 25 percent of any wages Peter Daniel Young earns through Evil Twin Booking Agency. The Philadelphia firm books Young to give speeches about his case and animal rights issues. Prosecutors say Young, who was released from prison in 2007, still owes $253,500 to the mink farmers he victimized. That's only $1,300 less than he was ordered to repay them in November 2005. In a telephone interview, Young said he had made "if anything, a negligible amount" of money from speeches and that would have been two years ago. Young, who now lives in Salt Lake City, said he has since been giving speeches for free at conferences, colleges and other events. "Making money off of animal rights is something I'm absolutely against and never felt comfortable with," he said. He called the garnishment order an effort to silence his message of support for the Animal Liberation Front, a group the government considers extremist. "They are concerned that I am giving an empowering message to activists, which is something they are fearful of," he said. Teresa Platt, executive director of Fur Commission USA, which represents fur farmers, said she was disappointed it took three years to try to garnish Young's wages. more...
Activist Jordan Halliday Enters Guilty Plea to Federal Contempt Charges; Refused to Testify for Grand Jury Investigating Fur Farm Raids	July 27, 2010
*Salt Lake Tribune:* The founder of an animal-rights group pleaded guilty Tuesday to contempt of court for refusing to testify about attacks on mink farms. Jordan Halliday admitted he disobeyed an order by U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell to testify before a grand jury. Halliday is slated to be sentenced Oct. 19 by U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart. A contempt of court offense is unique: It's neither misdemeanor nor felony, and there is no maximum punishment set by law. Stewart has the right to impose whatever sentence he believes is appropriate. more...
Walter Bond Arrested, Charged as ALF Lone Wolf Activists in Arson at Colorado Sheepskin Factory; Informant Works With Feds to Make Bust	July 23, 2010
*Voice of the Voiceless:* News is emerging, but the FBI has arrested a man in connection with the A.L.F. arson at Sheepskin Factory in Denver, Colorado. Walter Bond, 34, was arrested by federal agents Thursday. The FBI alleges Bond admitted to an informant to setting two additional fires - one at Tandy Leather Factory, the other at Tiburon (foie gras restaurant), both in Utah. In anonymous communiques, "A.L.F. Lone Wolf" took credit. The arrest follows three months of A.L.F. activity in which three businesses (in UT and CO) were targeted by arson. "A.L.F. Lone Wolf" took credit for all three arsons in two communiques. To date, Bond is charged only with the Sheepskin Factory arson. The crime carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years in federal prison. Additional charges for the two Utah arsons are possible. The suspect also served prison time in 1997 for an arson at a meth lab in Iowa. Bond received notoriety when the vegan straight edge band Earth Crisis wrote a song about Bond and the arson titled " To Ashes " for their 2009 album "To The Death". more... *The Denver Post:* A 34-year-old man with the word "VEGAN" tattooed prominently on his neck faces federal charges that he torched the Sheepskin Factory in Glendale last spring as part of an animal-rights campaign. The man, now known as Walter Edmund Bond, appeared in federal court Friday in shorts and a faded T-shirt, sitting quietly in handcuffs as he read through documents accusing him of a lone count of using fire or explosives to damage property involved in interstate commerce. Bond remains under investigation in two Utah blazes - a June 5 fire at a leather factory and a July 3 arson at a restaurant that served foie gras - liver from a goose or duck that has been force-fed to fatten it up. A group that sympathizes with the Animal Liberation Front said it was too early to know whether Bond is the "Lone Wolf." "If it is, then obviously we support him," said Dr. Jerry Vlasak, a spokesman for the North American Animal Liberation Press Office. more... *Salt Lake Tribune:* Federal agents have arrested an animal rights activist known as "Lone Wolf" for a Colorado fire and suspect him of setting fire to a leather factory and restaurant in Salt Lake County. Walter Bond, 34, of Salt Lake City, was captured in Colorado on Thursday on a charge of torching a Sheepskin Factory near Denver - a fire that caused an estimated $500,000 in damage to the business, which specializes in sheepskin products ranging from shoes to rugs to seat covers. "Be warned that making a living from the use and abuse of animals will not be tolerated," a writer identifying himself as "ALF Lone Wolf" wrote in the aftermath of the Sheepskin Factory fire. "Also be warned that leather is every bit as evil as fur, as demonstrated in my recent arson against the Leather Factory in Salt Lake City. Go vegan!" more... *Deseret News:* A Salt Lake man with connections to the Animal Liberation Front was arrested in the middle of the night last week in connection with arson fires in Utah and Colorado. The FBI and a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked with local police to take Walter Bond into custody. They did so after arranging and recording a meeting where Bond, 34, allegedly admitted to the crimes in conversations with a tipster. The unnamed tipster called ATF after speaking with Bond for the first time in many years. After asking him what was new, Bond referred the person to a fire mentioned on the website www.voiceofthevoiceless.org and indicated "that's what he had been up to," the court document states. more... *Not My Tribe:* Pardon the delay, but when an activist is arrested for the literature he's carrying , I've got to find that material. 34-year-old Walter Edmund Bond was arraigned today for setting the Denver Sheepskin Factory fire in May. ATF agents report that in his knapsack was a tract entitled Declaration of War: Killing People to Save the animals and the Environment The ATF alleges his copy was subtitled: Strike a Match, Light a Fuse, We Only Have the Earth to Lose. Bond was arrested after an informant taped him confessing to being the "Lone Wolf" who took credit on an Animal Liberation Front website. In the meantime, media outlets have linked Bond to a 1977 conviction for arson , failing to note he would have served the time as a toddler. (Turns out "1977? was a typo.) The Smoking Gun has obtained the full affidavit submitted by ATF Special Agents Rennie Mora, which details a call received by fellow agent Christopher Forkner. Someone who hadn't talked to Walter Bond since the suspect was 22, called the ATF to relate a phone call he/she received from Bond in late June. Asked what he'd been up to lately, Bond referred "Informant CI-01? to the website voice of the voiceless and directed her/him to scroll down to the "Denver Sheepskin fire." There "ALF Lone Wolf" had posted an explanation for why he'd targeted the business. Concluded the informant: "that's what he had been up to." The evidence which the ATF asserts corroborates Bond's taped admission is his "VEGAN" tattoo and the aforementioned "propaganda." The 1991 screed is attributed to one "Screaming Wolf" and its publishers claim it came by floppy-disk, by mail, its postmark undecipherable. The text is available at Animal Liberation Front , archived under Philosophy/Legal . Read the entire manuscript in our archives: A Declaration of War . more... *Associated Press:* A man who has been arrested on suspicion of starting a fire that destroyed a sheepskin store near Denver has been linked to two other fires in Utah which destroyed business he allegedly deemed were cruel to animals, police said. Walter Bond was arrested Thursday night. Federal prosecutors have charged the 34-year-old with one count of arson in connection with the fire at the Sheepskin Factory in Glendale in April. more... *ABC Channel 4 News:* The "Lone Wolf" arsonist, who claimed responsibility for fires in both Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake, has been caught. He was arrested Thursday night in Denver by special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). They say Lone Wolf is actually 34 year old Walter Bond. What's more, they say he also already admitted to using the nickname and even setting the fires. For now, he is accused only of the arson fire last April in Glendale, Colorado that destroyed the Sheepskin Factory store. Those allegations will be brought before a Federal Grand Jury. If convicted on federal arson charges, Bond faces five-to-20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. more... *Denver News:* Walter Bond doesn't exactly hide his convictions when it comes to animal rights. Law-enforcement types note that he has "a prominent tattoo on his neck just below his chin that reads, 'VEGAN.'" However, Bond is accused of doing more than simply sticking to salads. He's been formally charged with setting fire to a sheepskin factory in April -- and he's said to have told investigators of his desire to repeat the feat. Walter Bond's criminal complaint details the April 30 fire at the Sheepskin Factory, 510 South Colorado Boulevard in Glendale; a June blaze at a Salt Lake City, Utah leather factory; an early July conflagration at a Sandy, Utah restaurant that serves foie gras; and the information supplied by Bond during a sit-down at an East Colfax hotel. more... *CBS Channel 4 News:* The man arrested in the arson at the Sheepskin Factory store in Glendale is well known in the militant vegan movement. There's even a song about him. In certain circles the man known as "Lone Wolf" has the type of status reserved for folk heroes. Not for a case involving animal rights, but for one in which he claimed he burned down a house belonging to drug dealers. Arrested as Walter Bond, his real name is Walter Zuehlke of Mason City, Iowa, where he was convicted of arson in case that has given him prominence. more... *Salt Lake City Weekly:* Suspected "Lone Wolf" Animal Liberation Front arsonist Walter Eugene Bond, 34, has been convicted of arson before. That conviction may be related to a song written by the vegan straight-edge band Earth Crisis in which a man burns down a meth lab in retaliation for selling drugs to his brother. Bond has been charged with burning a sheep skin store in Colorado, as well as the Tandy Leather store in Salt Lake City and Tiburon Fine Dining . All were done on behalf of animal rights, according to someone taking the nom de guerre of "ALF Lone Wolf" who took credit for the fires anonymously. Prosecutors now believe Bond is "Lone Wolf." He's only been charged with the arson in Colorado, however the criminal complaint claims Bond admitted to the Utah fires while talking with a confidential informant, who was an old friend he hadn't spoken to in 12 years. For more background on Bond, read CW editor Jerre Wroble's commentary here and Salt Lake City animal rights big-wig Peter Young's reporting here. more...
Feature Article: The Vivisector's Tale; How Primate Vivisector David Jentsch Gets His Kicks Torturing Animals and Makes Lots of Money in the Process	July 17, 2010
*Los Angeles magazine:* "Nothing burns like a car," David Jentsch says, almost wistfully remembering the morning of March 7, 2009, when he awoke to find his Volvo on fire in the driveway. First came the bang of the gas cap blowing off, then the vehicle's alarm. It was 4 a.m. along a rustic stretch of Beverly Glen Boulevard above Sunset. As he stood in the damp chill, surrounded by walls of ivy and bougainvillea, Jentsch kept whispering the unthinkable: "They've found me." » Jentsch (pronounced "yench") is a psychology professor and neurobiologist at UCLA, where he conducts laboratory research on animals. Since 2006, he'd watched as animal rights militants picketed and vandalized the homes of colleagues who work with monkeys. Until that moment, though, he hoped he'd somehow gone unnoticed by them. Just maybe, Jentsch thought, the groups would fade before turning their attention to him. He recalls his futile, vaudevillian attempts to put out the blaze with a tiny kitchen fire extinguisher. Finally he gave up and went back to his house, snapping photos of the conflagration, which had ignited a tree as he waited for the fire trucks to arrive. Because he hadn't disclosed his current address even to the university, and because a housemate's car parked next to the Volvo remained untouched, a second realization dawned: He'd been followed home. more...
Jordan Halliday May Be Resolving Case for Contempt of Court	July 17, 2010
*Salt Lake Tribune:* An animal-rights activist charged with contempt of court for allegedly refusing to testify about mink releases at Utah farms could be pleading guilty in the case. The U.S. District Court docket shows a change-of-plea hearing scheduled on July 27 for Jordan Halliday, founder of the Animal Defense League of Salt Lake City. Those hearings generally are set after a defendant has struck a plea bargain with prosecutors. Halliday was indicted last year on the felony contempt charge, which stemmed from his appearances before a federal grand jury on March 4 and March 13 of 2009. The panel was investigating the release of hundreds of minks at the McMullin farm in South Jordan in August 2008; the release of minks at the Lodder farm in Kaysville in September 2008; and an attempt to damage the operations of the Mathews mink farm in Hyrum in October 2008. A government brief alleges that Halliday refused to take an oath at an initial appearance on Feb. 18, 2009, and responded with "no comment" to almost every question. At his March 4, 2009, appearance, Halliday asserted a Fifth Amendment right against incriminating himself in connection with innocuous questions such as where he lived, the brief says. more...
UK Activist Mel Broughton Convicted (at Retrial) on Arson Charges; Sentenced to 10 Years for Action Against Oxford Animal Research	July 13, 2010
*The Independent (UK):* An animal rights activist who planted petrol bombs at Oxford University is starting a prison sentence today after being found guilty at a retrial. Mel Broughton, 49, was protesting about plans to build an animal research laboratory in Oxford, backed by the university, when he made the devices out of water bottles and sparklers. One of them, placed on the roof of Queen's College cricket pavilion in November 2006, ignited and caused nearly £14,000 damage to the building. Two other petrol bombs were hidden under a portable cabin at Templeton College the following February, but failed to go off. Broughton, of Semilong Road, Northampton, was originally convicted of conspiracy to commit arson by a jury in February 2009, but successfully appealed against the conviction in February this year. more...
All Charges Dropped Against AETA-4 Defendants; No Evidence Available	July 13, 2010
*San Jose Mercury News:* A federal judge on Monday dismissed the indictment against four animal rights activists accused of a violent protest at the home of a UC Santa Cruz researcher more than a year and a half ago, but attorneys involved in the case estimated the legal battle is far from over. U.S. District Court Judge Ronald White, who heard arguments on the motions to dismiss the case a month ago, sided with the activists in a 14-page ruling issued Monday. "...(T)he indictment fails to allege the facts of the crimes charged with sufficient specificity," the judge's ruling stated. Joseph Buddenberg, Maryam Khajavi, Nathan Pope and Adriana Stumpo were arrested in February 2009 and charged with interfering with animal enterprise - a violation of a federal law - and conspiracy. more... *Science Magazine:* A federal judge in San Jose has dismissed charges against four animal-rights activists accused of harassing researchers at the University of California campuses at Berkeley and Santa Cruz in 2007 and 2008. The four were the first to be charged under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), a 2006 law intended to help investigators and prosecutors crack down on animal-rights extremists. In a 14-page ruling , Judge Ronald Whyte criticized the indictment against the activists for failing to provide a sufficiently specific description of their alleged crimes. "The indictment largely parrots the language of the criminal statute," Whyte wrote. However, in dismissing the case "without prejudice," Whyte leaves the door open for prosecutors to try again. According to the Foundation for Biomedical Research, so far there has been only two AETA convictions: against Alex Jason Hall and William James Viehl , who were recently sentenced to 21 and 24 months in prison, respectively, for releasing 650 minks and vandalizing a fur ranch in Utah in 2008. A trial in another AETA case, involving Scott DeMuth , a University of Minnesota sociology graduate student accused of participating in a 2004 lab break-in at the University of Iowa, is currently scheduled for September. more... *Nature Magazine:* A tough but rarely invoked US law intended to protect researchers from violent and threatening animal-rights activists has stumbled out of the starting gate: last week, a judge dismissed the first prosecution under the law. The decision comes on top of evidence that the legislation has done little to deter illegal incidents, and concerns that it risks restricting free speech. more...
Animal Liberation Front "Lone Wolf" Strikes Again at the Heart of Animal Abuse; Claims Arson at Foie Gras Restaurant in Sandy, Utah	July 07, 2010
*ABC News Channel 4:* The fire at the Tiburon restaurant was small but enough to shut the place down. "We don't know if they forced their way in or found an unlocked door," said Sandy Police Sergent Troy Arnold. Overnight, ABC 4 News received this e-mail....It said, "The ALF (animal liberation front) is watching and there is nowhere to hide. The arson at the Tiburon restaurant in Sandy Utah was done because of there (sic) sale of Foie Gras (young duck) and other 'wild game'. Animals exist for there (sic) own purposes, not human ends. Go Vegan! ALF Lonewolf." A spokesperson for ALF says the menu is a big problem with activists, "This is not a delicacy. It's nothing more than animal cruelty and animal abuse served on a plate." more...
UCLA Primate Vivisector Arthur Rosenbaum Dead; Activists Mourn Hundreds of Primates He Murdered Before His Death from Cancer	July 01, 2010
*Los Angeles Times:* Dr. Arthur L. Rosenbaum, a prominent UCLA pediatric eye surgeon known for innovative research on eye- muscle disorders who late in life was targeted by animal-rights extremists, has died. He was 69. Rosenbaum died June 22 at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center of complications from treatment related to cancer, said his wife, Sandra. Three years ago, anti-animal research activists began harassing Rosenberg, although he was primarily a surgeon with ties to only one animal-research project. He led a team that conducted research on a primate to test ways to correct severe cross-eyed conditions. In mid-2007, an unexploded firebomb was found under Rosenbaum's car at his home near UCLA. A group known as the Animal Liberation Brigade claimed responsibility for the incident. At the time, Rosenbaum had trouble believing it had happened, he told Science magazine in 2007. Over subsequent months, the activists staged several protests at Rosenbaum's home, concealing their faces and using bullhorns to shout insults, the magazine reported. During the protests, he took "a strong stand for the medical benefit that animal research provides," Demer said. "He had not been involved in that research for a couple of years and tried to make that point publicly." more... *Los Angeles Weekly:* Oft-threatened UCLA eye doctor and researcher Arthur Rosenbaum has died. Over his 36-year career the ophthalmologist treated 10,000 children for strabismus, or eye misalignment, using techniques he pioneered, in part, from experimenting with animals. Botox inserted into the eyes of monkeys, he found, controlled the eye's nerves, fixing double vision and, also, facial spastic disorders. more...
Coyote Killer Receives Death Threats; Unfortunately Still Alive, Killing Coyotes	July 01, 2010
*Chicago Tribune:* A trapper hired by Wheaton in the spring to cull coyotes received phone and e-mail threats, leading the FBI and police to investigate unnamed animal-rights activists. After the city's contract with Rob Erickson containing his phone number and e-mail address was made public, Erickson said, one caller threatened to kill him like he killed the coyote, and another targeted his house to burn. FBI spokeswoman Cynthia Yates would not provide details, but confirmed this week that the agency was investigating along with Wheaton police. more...
Alex Hall Sentenced to 21 Months Prison Time for releasing Captive Mink; With Time Served, Should Be Free Soon	June 30, 2010
*Salt Lake Tribune:* An Ogden man who admitted releasing hundreds of mink from a South Jordan farm in support of animal rights was sentenced Wednesday to 21 months in prison. The term was three months shorter than U.S. District Judge Dee Benson had planned to impose. The judge shaved off the time because of a heartfelt apology by 22-year-old Alex Jason Hall, who faced his victims in the courtroom and said: "You truly have nothing to fear from me. I ask your forgiveness. I can assure you I've learned my lesson." Hall earlier had pleaded guilty to one felony count of damaging and interfering with animal enterprises by releasing about 650 mink on Aug. 19, 2008, at the McMullin farm. more... *Deseret News*: A self-proclaimed animal lover who raided a South Jordan mink farm two years ago faced the family he had targeted, during an emotional federal court hearing Wednesday. "I can't really understand why you would think it's OK to come and destroy our family's enterprises," third-generation mink rancher Lindsey McMullin told Alex Jason Hall. "I wish you would have been there with me to recover (the mink), to see the damage and destruction it did to their lives." McMullin said the August 2008 raid on his farm also hurt his family psychologically, especially his children, who had nightmares and were scared by phrases such as "ALF: We Are Watching" spray-painted on ranch buildings. more...
AETA-4 Activists Face "Terrorism" Charges for defending Animals; Long Beach Natives Could Do Five Years	June 17, 2010
*Orange County Weekly:* On Jan. 27, 2008, over the course of seven hours, 11 people dressed in black and wearing bandannas over their faces like a gang of train robbers, protested in front of the homes of various UC Berkeley professors who conduct bio-medical research using animals. The group chanted, marched and scrawled messages in chalk on the sidewalks. UC police officers claim to have recognized four people involved in the protest from a similar action that took place the previous October. On Feb. 24, 2008, five or six individuals protested in front of a UC Santa Cruz professor's house. He was inside when he heard the group near his front door. He opened it, and they yelled at one another. There was a struggle, and the professor was hit with something, most likely a bullhorn. The group fled by car. The professor and his wife both claimed to have been terrified by the group, all of whom wore bandannasexcept for the man with the bullhorn. The professor took down the car's license-plate number, which police traced to Maryam Khajavi's residence. Later that night, after obtaining a search warrant, police found Khajavi, Nathan Pope and Adriana Stumpo at the home. A search of Khajavi's car turned up bandannas and a bullhorn. According to the federal government, Stumpo and Pope, now 22 and 26 respectively, are domestic terrorists. The charges against them, stemming from both the Berkeley and Santa Cruz incidents, include two countsconspiracy, as well as force, violence and threats involving animal enterprise*under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). more...
Animal Liberation Front Submits Claim for Arsons at Tandy Leather Store in Utah and Sheepskin Factory in Colorado	June 15, 2010
*KDVR Fox News 31:* A member of the Animal Liberation Front claims to have set fire to the Sheepskin Factory in Glendale in April. A member, calling himself "Lone Wolf", wrote a post on www.directaction.info saying "The arson at the Sheepskin Factory in Denver was done in defense and retaliation for all the innocent animals that have died cruelly at the hands of human oppressors. Be warned that making a living from the use and abuse of animals will not be tolerated." The anonymous writer also claimed to be responsible for an arson in Salt Lake City, Utah that burned down a Tandy Leather store in June. more... *Associated Press:* Police investigating a fire that destroyed a Denver-area business say they're seriously considering a claim by an animal rights activist who takes credit for it. Police have said a fire that destroyed the Sheepskin factory in April was suspicious. Glendale Police Chief Victor Ross says his department is looking closely at a claim on a website associated with the Animal Liberation Front. The posting by "ALF Lone Wolf" says the business was torched in retaliation for "innocent animals" killed by people. more... *ABC News Channel 7:* Glendale police are investigating whether an animal rights activist could be to blame for the arson at the Sheepskin Factory on Colorado Boulevard. The building burned to the ground in April. On June 15 an anonymous e-mail was sent to 7NEWS and the Glendale Police Department from someone who claims the fire was set to send a message in defense of the animals. This is the second tip police have received where an animal rights group took credit for the arson. The tipster signs the note, "ALF Lone Wolf" and said he is also responsible for the fire at a leather factory in Salt Lake City in the first week of June. The note warns that "making a living from the use and abuse of animals will not be tolerated" and it mentions the Sheepskin Factory in Glendale. more... *CBS News Channel 4:* Authorities are investigating whether a fire at The Sheepskin Factory in Glendale is tied to an animal rights group. The fire gutted the business causing $500,000 in damage in late April. The building was located along Colorado Boulevard. It didn't take long for investigators to label this arson, but now, more than a month after the blaze, a claim of responsibility came from someone calling himself ALF Lone Wolf. ". was done in defense and retaliation for all the innocent animals that have died cruelly at the hands of human oppressors," ALF Lone Wolf posted on a website called Bite Back, which is aligned with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). more... *ABC News Channel 4:* "Lone Wolf" sent a communiqué to an Animal Liberation Front claiming responsibility for two arson fires -- one of them in Salt Lake. The fire in Salt Lake happened overnight on June 5th at Tandy Leather Factory at 1107 South State Street in Salt Lake City. The arsonist didn't bother to hide his crime. He used cans of gasoline. The fire burned mostly flooring and the front counter of the store. Still, all of the merchandise was destroyed by smoke. The fire in Salt Lake happened overnight on June 5th at Tandy Leather Factory at 1107 South State Street in Salt Lake City. The arsonist didn't bother to hide his crime. He used cans of gasoline. The fire burned mostly flooring and the front counter of the store. Still, all of the merchandise was destroyed by smoke. The other fire was on April 30th at a Sheepskin store in Denver. That store burned to the ground. The FBI is reviewing a videotape from a surveillance camera that may show the arsonist around the store at the time of the fire. In the communiqué, Lone Wolf wrote the fires in Salt Lake and Denver were "done in defense and retaliation for all the innocent animals that have died cruelly at the hands of human oppressors." Tippetts is now concerned the arsonist will strike again. more... *Salt Lake Tribune:* A fire that damaged a Salt Lake City leather factory earlier this month probably wasn't set by an animal rights activist or group, despite a recent Internet posting from an anonymous person taking credit. The Tandy Leather Factory at 1107 S. State St. sustained less than $20,000 damage in the early-morning hours of June 5 when a fire was "intentionally set" in the store, Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Scott Freitag said. A person claiming to be a member of the Animal Liberation Front who goes by the name "Lone Wolf" claimed last week on a website that he was responsible for starting the blaze. "Be warned that making a living from the use and abuse of animals will not be tolerated," the post states in part. "Also be warned that leather is every bit as evil as fur. As demonstrated in my recent arson against the Leather Factory in Salt Lake City." more...
SHAC-7 Appeal Will Not Be Heard	June 06, 2010
*Courthouse News Service:* The full 3rd Circuit won't reconsider a panel decision upholding the convictions of six animal-rights activists who used their website to incite threats and vandalism against researchers in a New Jersey lab. The federal appeals court in Philadelphia rejected an appeal by six members of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, who were convicted in 2006 of interstate stalking and conspiring to use their website to abuse, threaten and harass the workers of at least 10 companies directly and indirectly involved with the Huntingdon Life Science research center in Franklin Township, N.J. The activists often posted "accomplishments" on the group's website, including incidents in which supporters broke in to the New Jersey lab and "liberated" 14 beagles, overturned a worker's car, detonated a stink bomb in the office of a Huntingdon investor, vandalized a bank associated with the lab, sunk a yacht owned by the bank's president, launched "paint attacks" in the offices of another investor, and rescued dogs and ferrets from a Huntingdon breeder farm. In its ruling last October, a three-judge panel said there was enough circumstantial evidence to support the convictions under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. The activists had claimed the law violates their First Amendment right to freely associate with the animal-rights group. more...
Arson Closes Salt Lake City Leather Store; Activists Suspected, But No Claim Yet	June 06, 2010
*Voice of the Voiceless:* Sometime last week, the Tandy Leather Factory in Salt Lake City was the target of an apparent arson attack. This mysterious, (so far) unclaimed arson comes just weeks after at a similar unclaimed arson at the Sheepskin Factory store in Denver. The arson appears to have at least temporarily shut down the store, located at 1107 South State Street in Salt Lake City. As of yet, neither the Animal Liberation Front nor other animal liberation group has taken credit. According to a post on a gun-talk forum, an employee of another Tandy location stated that someone broke into the Salt Lake City store, spread an 'accelerant', and set the store on fire. This is the latest in a long line of actions at animal exploitation targets for which no claim of responsibility by activists is made. The true motive of this action can not be known, but a store selling the skins of animals would be a legitimate target for the A.L.F. more... *Voice of Deseret:* KSL Channel 5 reports that a minor fire which broke out at the Leather Factory on 1100 South and State Street in Salt Lake City last week is officially attributable to arson, according to Salt Lake City fire spokesman Scott Freitag. According to a post on UtahConcealedCarry , the perpetrators spread an accelerant up and down the aisles, especially over where they store their leather. But although Freitag has no information about who set the fire or about possible motive, KSL also reports that posting is circulating among animal rights websites with information on the fire. They did not identify the websites. more... *KSL Channel 5:* A window is boarded up at the Leather Factory on 1100 South and State Street. Inside, crews have been working to make repairs from smoke and fire damage in a minor fire that broke out last week. Salt Lake City fire spokesman Scott Frietag says the fire was intentionally set. "We don't know who. We don't know what the motive is -- nothing left behind, or nothing sent to us since then that claims responsibility or claims a motive," Freitag says. In 1995, a leather store was set on fire in Murray, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. more...
AETA-4 Activists Move to Dismiss Federal Case; Ruling Pending	June 05, 2010
*Santa Cruz Sentinel:* Four animal rights activists accused of taking part in a violent demonstration at the home of a UC Santa Cruz researcher are fighting to have the federal indictment filed against them dropped. Joseph Buddenberg, Maryam Khajavi, Nathan Pope and Adriana Stumpo will appear in federal court in San Jose on Monday morning, at which time a judge will hear a motion that could end their case. In court papers, the activists' attorneys argue that there was insufficient evidence to support the indictment against them. They were arrested in February 2009, a year after the demonstration that police say got out of hand and led to the husband of the researcher being attacked when he tried to prevent protesters from entering the family's Westside Santa Cruz home. more... *Santa Cruz Sentinel:* A federal judge on Monday heard arguments on a motion that could quash the case against four animal rights activists accused of a violent protest at the home of a UC Santa Cruz researcher nearly 18 months ago. No decision was made. The hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Ronald White marked the first time charges against Joseph Buddenberg, Maryam Khajavi, Nathan Pope and Adriana Stumpo were openly discussed in court since the four were arrested in February 2009. All have pleaded not guilty to charges of interfering with animal enterprise -- a violation of a federal law -- and conspiracy. more...
Meat Trade Daily News (Really!) Claims Sausage Tampered With; Probably No More Dangerous With Needles Embedded	June 05, 2010
*Meat Trade Daily News:* The Toronto Police Service would like to make the public aware of three cases involving food tampering. It is reported that: since May 2010, police have been investigating three separate food tampering cases involving Piller's Polish Sausage. Customers, after purchasing the item, located a needle embedded in a sausage. more...
Authorities Scapegoat ALF in Sabotage of UCSC Professor's Automobile	May 27, 2010
*Voice of the Voiceless:* Just after the Animal Liberation Front was falsely blamed for the release of a kangaroo from a roadside zoo, this week investigators are hinting the A.L.F. may be behind the sabotage of a UC-Santa Cruz researcher's car. The punchline? The researcher doesn't experiment on animals. The story: Early May 23rd, person(s) unknown severed the brake lines on an SUV as it sat in a Santa Cruz driveway. The owner was someone described only as a "UC-Santa Cruz researcher". The FBI and police swarmed the scene. There were no reports of graffiti, and no claim of responsibility by any underground group. By all appearances, it was a case of generic-brand vandalism. The San Jose Mercury News admitted: The scientist's research did not involve animals. So far, it has been a case of "indictment by suggestion", with investigators indirectly implicating the A.L.F. by stating the perpetrators "may not necessarily be an animal rights group". The subtext being: not necessarily, but probably. Remember the attempted home arson of a UCSC animal researcher in 2008, where the smoke hadn't even cleared before the FBI called it a case of "attempted murder" by animal rights activists. No claim of responsibility was ever made, and no other motives or suspects were entertained in investigator's statements to the media. more...
NAALPO Press Officer Jason Miller Pleads to Charge of Violating Unlawful Restraing Order by Sending an Email	May 17, 2010
*Kansas City.com :* Jason Miller, a Lenexa animal-rights activist, pleaded guilty today to violating a protection-from-stalking order and was placed on a year's probation. Miller organized several demonstrations against the efforts of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District to shoot more than 300 deer in Shawnee Mission Park. A Johnson County judge issued the protective order Nov. 18 in which Miller was prohibited from having direct or indirect contact with Meadors or the members of the district's board. On Feb. 13, Miller sent an e-mail to the park district that violated that order. more...
Feature Article from Salt Lake City Weekly on Animal Liberationists	May 12, 2010
*Salt Lake City Weekly :* In June 2008, Jeremy Beckham took a day trip from Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia, with his girlfriend and brother to visit famed Capilano Suspension Bridge. The longtime Salt Lake City animal-rights activist had no problem entering Canada, but his name was flagged by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection when he returned. "They brought me in a separate room, so it was clear they were singling me out," he said. He gave the agent his name, told him he was a student at the University of Utah and that he was just visiting Canada as a tourist. "Then [the agent] said, 'What student groups or political organizations do you belong to?' " Nervous already, Beckham was now alarmed. Why should his political beliefs have any bearing on his re-entry? much more...
Sheepskin Factory Burns to the Ground; $500,000 in Damages, No Claim by Aniaml Activists to this Point	May 4, 2010
*Voice of the Voiceless:* Over 42 firefighters responded to a blaze at Sheepskin Factory April 30th in Denver, Colorado. The fire reportedly broke out at 3:15am and gutted the building. It has been ruled arson. Sheepskin Factor y sells sheep carcasses.To date, neither the Animal Liberation Front nor other clandestine animal liberation group has claimed responsibility. Similar unclaimed actions have been reported in Colorado. On January 13th, 2002, another sheepskin business went up in flames north of Denver in Greeley. The building was burned to the ground. No claim of responsibility was made in that fire either, but the fire was deemed suspicious due to A.L.F. graffiti threatening arson being found at a similar plant in Denver the previous month. This latest arson marks the second burned down sheep skin business in Colorado. more... *Voice of the Voiceless:* Investigators have estimated damages from the arson fire that destroyed a sheep skin seller at $500,000. The building is being called a "total loss". Also revealed is that the owners of Sheepskin Factory had no insurance. While they claim to be reopening, they must absorb all costs from the arson fire which destroyed the building, equipment, and all inventory. Police released photos of a person they say "may" have set the fire, taken from security camera footage around the time of the fire. The images show only a person with a backpack and hood, with no face or other identifiable features visible. more...
US Attorney Tries to Keep Activist BJ Viehl Jailed; Early Release Pending Appeal Opposed	April 21, 2010
*Standard-Examiner:* The U.S. Attorney's Office does not want a Layton man who pleaded guilty to damaging a mink farm released early from federal prison. The attorneys for William James Viehl filed a motion April 7 to have the 23-year-old man released early from federal prison pending an appeal of his sentence. The U.S. Attorney's Office filed a motion April 16 opposing any early release, citing Viehl poses a risk of danger to the community because of handwritten correspondences they said he has had with an animal rights extremist, Peter Young, in Salt Lake City. U.S. District Judge Dee Benson sentenced Viehl in February to serve two years in a federal prison for damaging a mink farm in South Jordan. Viehl has since been transported to a federal prison, either in Arizona or California, according to court documents. more...
Steve Best in CNN Interview on Suppression of Angry Rhetoric	April 16, 2010
*CNN:* Letting disgruntled citizens vent is important to national security, experts say, but some messages emanating from angry Americans in recent weeks have pressed the boundaries of free speech. Steven Best, a philosophy professor at the University of Texas-El Paso, is accustomed to straddling the line between talk and action. As press officer for the Animal Liberation Front, which the U.S. considers a terrorist outfit, Best disseminates the leftist group's news releases, but he has never engaged in criminal activity, he said. He defends ALF's attacks on farms, corporations and animal laboratories, and he likened the group's civil defiance to that of the colonists staging the Boston Tea Party. "There are forms of violence and resistance and brick throwing that are legit, and some that are not," Best said. "I'm trying to throw the right brick through the right window for the right cause." more...
Scott Demuth Lawyers Want to Suppress Affidavit for Search Warrant	April 14, 2010
*Daily Iowan:* Attorneys for a Minneapolis man charged in connection with a 2004 break-in at Spence Labs and Seashore Hall have filed a motion to suppress an affidavit for a search warrant, according to court documents. Scott DeMuth, 22, is charged with conspiracy. On Nov. 14, 2004, four masked individuals broke into the two facilities and caused around $450,000 in damage. The Animal Liberation Front has claimed responsibility for the break-in. more...
Secretive Political Prison Units For Activists; Communication Management Units Operating for Three Years on American Soil	April 14, 2010
*Greenisthenewred:* Secretive political prisons for "domestic terrorists" called Communications Management Units have been operating for more than three years on U.S. soil. Last week the federal Bureau of Prisons quietly submitted a proposal to make the experimental units permanent: a process that, by law, should have occurred before they were ever opened. As a quick introduction, there are two Communications Management Units, or CMUs, in the country. They radically restrict prisoner communications with the outside world to levels that rival, or exceed, the most restrictive facilities in the country, including the "Supermax," ADX-Florence. more...
72 Hens Liberated from Shepherd's Egg Farm in Spanish Fork, Utah; Predictably, Abusers Deny Attack	April 6, 2010
*Daily Herald (UT):* Animal rights activists claim they have "liberated" dozens of hens from a Utah County egg farm, but authorities say they are not so sure. Utah County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Brower said police were called Monday morning on a report of stolen hens. He said Bud Shepherd and Sons Poultry near Spanish Fork received an e-mail from the Animal Liberation Front, claiming to have stolen the animals overnight on April 1 and April 2. Jerry Vlasak, a press officer for the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, said the office receives notifications from underground organizations periodically alleging action was taken to "liberate" animals. He said although the farm did not confirm any hens were taken, he could not think of any claims that were unfounded. He said the "animal liberation underground" is not in the habit of making false claims. more... *Voice of the Voiceless*: When the Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for liberating 72 chickens from a Utah egg farm Friday, the farm's response wasn't condemnation, but denial. Shepherd Egg Farm was raided for the second time by the A.L.F. on the night of April 1st, 2010, and 72 chickens were rescued. When contacted by the media, both the egg farm and police have refused to acknowledge the raid ever took place. Of course no chickens - or any other non-native, domesticated species that won't survive in the wild - is ever "released" in an A.L.F. action. They are placed in homes. That aside, it is nothing new for a targeted animal abuser to refuse to acknowledge an A.L.F. raid. In fact, when they think they can get away with it, it is standard protocol. It is possible the farm found no evidence of a break-in, or missing animals. In a farm with tens or hundreds of thousands of birds, not noticing the absence of 72 of them is plausible. Whichever the case, the denial by Shepherd Egg Farm of an A.L.F. raid makes a case for the A.L.F. to release documentation to the media in the form of photos or video. These will both educate the public, and make the raid irrefutable to abusers. more...
Animal Liberation Prisoner BJ Viehl Moved to Federal Prison	April 1, 2010
*InfoShop News*: One year after the government indicted two activists for an Animal Liberation Front release of 650 mink in Utah, the first to be sentenced - William "BJ" Viehl - has arrived at prison. In February, Viehl was sentenced to two years in prison - quadruple the sentence recommended by the prosecutor. After two months awaiting transfer, Viehl has been designated to a low security prison in Los Angeles county, the same prison where SHAC 7 prisoner Jacob Conroy completed his sentence. With ""good time", he expects to be released in the fall of this year. more...
UK Activist Mel Broughton Granted a New Trial on Appeal; 10-Year Sentence Vacated, Bail Granted	March 25, 2010
*Northhampton Chronicle (UK): Mel Broughton, aged 48, from Northampton, was jailed for 10 years at Oxford Crown Court in February of last year after a jury convicted him of conspiracy to commit arson. He appealed against his conviction earlier this year and, after taking more than a month to consider the verdict, Lord Justice Thomas returned to the Court of Appeal yesterday to quash the conviction. The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Kitchin and Sir Geoffrey Grigson, said there had been an error in the way the trial judge had summed up the evidence to the jury which meant the conviction was "unsafe". more... Oxford Mail (UK)*: AN animal rights protester will stand trial in June accused of an alleged firebomb attack on Oxford University. Mel Broughton, 48, of Semilong Road, Northampton, appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday morning. Judge Julian Hall granted Broughton bail on what he called "stringent conditions", including banning Broughton from entering Oxfordshire and forbidding him from carrying out any animal rights activities. more...
On Animal Liberationist Jonathon Paul, By Alexandra Paul	March 23, 2010
*Huffington Post*: Last week, my brother finished his first marathon, and I am one proud big sister. In fact, I am so proud you'd think I had run the marathon. You see, 2 ½ years ago, Jonathan was an overweight smoker who felt tired just going up the stairs. Today, he runs every morning, teaches spinning classes and leads boot camps. In federal prison. That's where he ran his marathon, on the quarter mile track at the medium security federal correctional facility in Arizona where he is serving a 4 year sentence for helping burn down a horse slaughterhouse. Ninety-five laps, around and around the prison yard for 4 hours and 14 minutes, to do what I know he never imagined he could do when he was a free man. more...
Kevin Olliff, Lindy Greene Enter Plea Deals in Los Angeles; Stalking Charges for Home Demonstrations Appear to Encourage More Discreet Actions	March 19, 2010
*LAist: An accused domestic terrorist (sic) today pleaded no contest to three counts of stalking and three of conspiracy to commit stalking in connection to acts against UCLA researchers and employees of POM Wonderful Juice Company, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced. Kevin Rich Olliff, 22, an associate of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) faces a three-year state prison sentence under terms of a negotiated settlement. Olliff and 62-year-old co-defendent Linda Faith Greene, who pleaded guilty to similar charges yesterday, were indicted last year by the L.A. County Grand Jury in connection with actions taken in 2006 and 2008. more... LA Times: One animal rights activist pleaded guilty and another pleaded no contest this week to charges related to protests held against UCLA researchers and juice company executives, prosecutors said Friday. Kevin Richard Olliff, 22, pleaded no contest Friday to felony stalking and conspiracy charges, a day after Linda Faith Greene, 62, pleaded guilty to similar charges. Both are affiliated with the Animal Liberation Front, an underground network of activists that has claimed responsibility for sabotaging animal research labs, setting fires, flooding properties and making death threats against researchers. Last year, Los Angeles County grand jurors indicted Olliff and Greene on charges that they had harassed UCLA scientists who use animals in their research and held threatening protests near the homes of executives of the POM Wonderful juice company. more... Associated Press: An animal research protester pleaded no contest and another pleaded guilty to six criminal charges stemming from allegations that they stalked two University of California, Los Angeles researchers and a juice company executive, authorities said Friday. Kevin Rich Olliff, 22, entered a no-contest plea Friday to three counts each of stalking and conspiracy to commit the crime of stalking, said Los Angeles County district attorney's office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons. Olliff's co-defendant, Linda Greene, 62, made a separate agreement and pleaded not guilty to the same charges a day earlier. more... Chronicles of Higher Education: One animal rights activist has pleaded guilty and another no contest for their roles in stalking and harassing faculty members at the University of California at Los Angeles who conduct research with animals, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Friday. One faces a prison sentence of three years while the other must stay away from all University of California campuses or property. UCLA officials praised authorities for cracking down on those who engage in harassment. "Criminal acts to advance a cause or a belief have no place in a civilized society," said a statement from UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. "While we respect the rights of those who take a different view of animal research, we are committed to protecting our researchers from harassment and providing an environment where they can continue their work toward cures and a greater understanding of the human body." Denver Anarchist Black Cross*: Animal rights activist Kevin Olliff has been jailed without bail since April 18, 2009 on ten felony charges related to above-ground animal rights activism. On March 19th, Kevin Olliff signed a deal, pleading "no contest" to six felony charges (three stalking and three conspiracy to stalk-including conspiracy to stalk a school official). He was escorted to the courtroom late, and in an unusual grey uniform, because he is temporarily in the jail hospital fighting an infection in his lymph nodes. IV in arm, he signed a the plea document for three years and parole. more...
Animal Liberation Prisoner Carrie Feldman Released from Punative Custody; Refused to Cooperate with Secretive Grand Jury	March 18, 2010
*Sioux City Journal: A woman detained by federal authorities for refusing to testify before a grand jury considering a University of Iowa animal lab break-in was released from custody Thursday. Carrie Feldman, 20, was ordered held by federal Judge John Jarvey after she refused to testify before the Davenport-based grand jury in November. Feldman's release comes three days after FBI agents raided a home in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of the targets of the warrant was Peter Young, an animal rights activist who served time in federal prison for fur-farm raids in the 1990s, documents show. His name had been mentioned previously in connection with the case. Feldman, of Minneapolis, was ordered held in connection with an investigation into an Animal Liberation Front, or ALF, action at the University of Iowa in 2004 that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. University officials are now building an animal research facility underground, citing security concerns. more... City Pages (Minneapolis/St. Paul)*: The Minneapolis native was jailed in November because she wouldn't testify about a break-in at an animal lab at the University of Iowa. Now she's out. Feldman refused to appear before a grand jury, which was looking into the Animal Liberation Front's raid on the lab. The group released rats and mice and caused $450,000 of damage. A judge signed an order Thursday to release the 20-year-old activist after her testimony was no longer considered necessary, according to the Strib. more...
Author, Animal Holocaust Denier Lierre Keith Pied in Face at San Francisco Anarchist Bookfair	March 17, 2010
*San Francisco Chronicle: An ex-vegan who was hit with chili pepper-laced pies at an anarchist event in San Francisco said Tuesday that her assailants were cowards who should direct their herbivorous rage at the powerful - not at a fellow radical for writing a book denouncing animal-free diets. Lierre Keith, a 45-year-old Arcata resident, was attacked at 2:15 p.m. Saturday at the 15th annual Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair while discussing her 2009 book, "The Vegetarian Myth." A 20-year vegan, Keith now argues that the diet is unhealthy and that agriculture is destroying the world. As Keith stood at a lectern at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, three people in masks and black hooded sweatshirts ran from backstage, shouted, "Go vegan!" and threw pies in her face. While they fled, some in the audience cheered or handed out leaflets. Among those rejoicing in the pie attack was the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, which often prints communiques from activists taking credit for attacks on animal researchers.* The group said Keith was wrong about veganism, referred to her as an "animal holocaust denier," and scolded her for calling the "agents of state oppression" - the police. Her assailants were "masked marvels" who "made their statement very eloquently and succinctly on behalf of the billions of animals she advocates killing," the group said. more... *Seattle Weekly*: Last Saturday, while speaking at an anarchist event in San Francisco, author, activist and ex-vegan Lierre Keith was hit with three chile-pepper-laced pies while discussing her 2009 book, " The Vegetarian Myth ." She was speaking at the 15th annual Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair, talking about her 20 years as a vegan and how she'd recently changed her opinion on the subject and written a book about how industrial agriculture is now destroying the world. According to reports, she'd gotten about halfway through her talk. more...
Federal Agents Raid Activists' House in Utah; Repression Ongoing as Frustration Builds Over Inability to Capture ALF Activists Who Raided Iowa Lab in 2004	March 16, 2010
*Green is the New Red: FBI agents and law enforcement from multiple agencies have raided a well-known activist group house in Salt Lake City, Utah, today in connection with an investigation of Animal Liberation Front crimes in Iowa. more... Salt lake Tribune: The FBI served a search warrant Monday on a Salt Lake City home occupied by a supporter of the Animal Liberation Front. Peter D. Young, 32, said at least eight FBI agents arrived about 11:30 a.m. The agents took computers, papers and other items it thought to be related to "animal enterprise terrorism," Young said, reciting language from the warrant. A federal judge in Iowa issued the warrant. Law enforcement there has a long-running investigating into animal releases at a University of Iowa laboratory. "The lawyers are as baffled as I am," Young said. "Every indication is they [the FBI] are just on a fishing expedition right now." more... KCRG Television*: FBI agents raided the Salt Lake City home of an animal rights activist as part of an Iowa search warrant. It's part of their ongoing investigation into the 2004 break-in at Spence Labs at the University of Iowa. The Animal Liberation Front video taped the break-in. The vandals stole hundreds of lab mice and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Agents could not comment on what they were looking for in Utah.
UK Activist-Icon Mel Broughton Appeals Conviction for Fire Bombing Animal Abusers	February 25, 2010
*BBC*: Mel Broughton, 48, of Semilong Road in Northampton, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson in February last year. The court heard he had targeted Queen's and Templeton colleges over plans to build an animal research laboratory. Broughton argues he was found guilty on the basis of unreliable DNA evidence. He was arrested after two improvised devices, made up of fuel and fuses made from sparklers, exploded at Queen's College sports pavilion in November 2006, causing almost £14,000 worth of damage. Two similar bombs were planted underneath a portable building at Templeton College in February 2007, but failed to go off. Broughton, a leading figure in an animals rights movement set up in 2004 in protest at plans to build an animal testing research laboratory at Oxford, protested to police that he was a peaceful protester only. more...
Carrie Feldman Remains Jailed for Grand Jury Non-Cooperation; Scott Demuth Legal Proceedings Continue	February 21, 2010
*Star-Tribune: Having sat three months now in an Iowa jail, Carrie Feldman of Minneapolis is a hero to scores of animal-rights defenders around the world. But to the U.S. government, the 20-year-old left-wing political activist is a potential witness who may know something about a daring break-in more than five years ago at a University of Iowa laboratory. When she refused to testify before a grand jury, a judge ordered her jailed Nov. 17 for contempt of court. She's been in a cell ever since and could legally be held 11 months if she continues her silence. more... United Press International: A Minneapolis animal rights activist could spend 11 months in jail for refusing to testify in a lab break-in case at the University of Iowa, authorities say. Carrie Feldman, 20, was charged with contempt of court and jailed Nov. 17 for refusing to tell a grand jury what she may know about events that occurred in 2004, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Monday. Feldman was 15 years old at the time and contends she knows nothing of the Nov. 14, 2004, attack on Spence Laboratories by the Animal Liberation Front. The group allegedly released a video of members breaking into the facility, setting hundreds of mice and rats free, dumping chemicals, and smashing computers, with damages totaling $450,000, the newspaper said. more... Daily Iowan: Prosecutors in the trial of a Minneapolis man charged in connection with the 2004 break-in at the University of Iowa Spence Labs and Seashore Hall have filed responses to the defendant's motions, according to federal court documents. Scott DeMuth, 22, is charged with conspiracy and conspiracy to commit animal-enterprise terrorism. On Nov. 14, 2004, four masked individuals broke into Spence Labs and Seashore Hall and caused around $450,000 in damage. The Animal Liberation Front has claimed credit for the break-in. more... Denver Anarchist Black Cross: This morning, over a dozen supporters from Minneapolis and the Quad Cities joined Scott in the Federal Courthouse in Davenport for his arraignment for the new indictment that was issued last week. There was also a hearing on numerous discovery-related motions for his upcoming trial. Scott's attorney, Michael Deutsch, argued that the prosecution has failed to produce the discovery that the defense is entitled to under the rules. Judge Shields took the arguments under advisement and is expected to issue a ruling within the next few days. As we've shared with you before, Scott's defense team filed a motion to dismiss the original indictment, arguing that it failed to meet the basic requirements for an indictment. The indictment gave no indication as to what the prosecution alleges Scott actually did, and provided an overly vague time frame for the alleged crime. In an apparent affirmation of this defense argument, US Attorney Cliff Cronk filed a superseding indictment last week. The new indictment, however, appears to be fatally flawed in itself-it still fails to provide any indication as to what Scott is alleged to have done to conspire under the AETA. more... Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, IA)*: The Dubuque County Jail received a high-profile federal inmate on Tuesday, an animal rights activist who refuses to testify about a 2004 Animal Liberation Front attack on a University of Iowa laboratory. Carrie Feldman, 20, was charged with contempt of court and jailed in November after refusing to testify, according to press reports. Feldman will likely remain incarcerated until she testifies or a grand jury probe ends. ALF claimed responsibility for the break-in at Seashore Hall and Spence Laboratories. Smashed equipment, acid poured over paperwork and 300 freed rodents caused an estimated $450,000 of damage, according to the Associated Press. For days after the vandalism, ALF members circulated personal contact information about psychology faculty who conducted animal research.
Olympic Figure Skater Afraid to Wear Fur; Whatever Works, the Animals Don't Care	February 14, 2010
*ESPN / Associated Press* : U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir says he received threats from anti-fur activists that made him fear for his safety, causing him to scrub any plans to stay at a hotel while in Vancouver for the Olympics. "I felt very threatened," he said Saturday. "I'm not allowed to say how everything got through, but my agent got letters and faxes and e-mails. I got letters at the ice rink, somebody found my phone number. "All these crazy fur people. Security-wise, to stay in a hotel would be very difficult. There have been threats against me. I didn't want to get hurt." more...
Attack by Animal Liberationists, Anarchists on Mexican Metro Train Foiled; One Arrested	February 13, 2010
*InstaBlogs.com*: Members of the anarchist group the Animal Liberation Front attempted to derail a subway train by placing cans of butane gas in one of the coaches on arrival at the station of Line 2 in T axqueña, Mexico City. The incident occurred Thursday at 10:30 pm, and one of the attackers was arrested by members of the Banking and Industrial Police when he tried to escape. The information provided by the Attorney General of the Federal District (PGJDF) indicates that the device was composed of three butane gas canisters, a rocket known as " tiger claw" and a candle. However, the movement of the convoy in the curve between General Anaya and the Taxqueña station affected the device and detonated only one of the cans. more...
Trial of Scott Demuth in University of Iowa Laboratory Animal Liberation Case Moved Back	February 10, 2010
*Daily Iowan*: A U.S. magistrate judge granted a continuance in the trial of a Minneapolis man charged in connection with the 2004 break-in at the UI Spence Labs and Seashore Hall, according to court documents. Scott DeMuth, 22, is charged with conspiracy to commit animal-enterprise terrorism. On Nov. 14, 2004, four masked individuals broke into Spence Labs and Seashore Hall and caused around $450,000 in damages. The Animal Liberation Front claimed credit for the break-in. The trial has been reset for May 3.
Professor, NAALPO Advisor Steve Best Profiled in Major Newspaper	February 08, 2010
*El Paso Times*: People have judged Steve Best many ways during his 30 years in academia. Some have called him a troublemaker, a radical, and even a domestic and international terrorist because of his vocal and often confrontational stance on animal rights. He said it is his tenured position that has kept him on the payroll as a philosophy professor at the University of Texas at El Paso. But even Best knows he is gambling with his career when he protests against the school's environmental policies with a bullhorn outside UTEP President Diana Natalicio's office, or when he openly supports a movement that undertakes criminal activities to save animals from research laboratories and slaughterhouses. more...
Mink Ranchers Fear "BluePrint" Publication that Details the Exact Locations of their Death Camps for Fur-bearing Animals	February 05, 2010
*Park City Record*: A report compiled by an animal-rights group, a how-to guide for carrying out attacks against mink ranchers, targets several fur farms on the East Side of Summit County. Author Peter Young claims the 62-page document represents "the largest collection of fur industry intelligence to date." The title of the booklet: "The Blueprint Fur Farm Intelligence Project: The Full Report." "In 1997, I left home with a list of fur farm addresses and drove across the country collecting notes on the U.S. fur industry. Those notes were confiscated by the FBI, I was sent to prison, and the notes were never made public," Young states in the opening lines of his report. "In 2009, I organized a resurrection: a two-month road trip to every fur farm in the western U.S. The goal: compile the largest collection of raw industry data to date." Jerry Vlasak, a spokesman for the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, said the short lives of captive mink are riddled with stress and excruciating pain. With its many mink farms Utah has been a target for activists, Vlasak said. more...
BJ Viehl Sentenced to 2 Years in Utah Prison for Mink Liberation; Judge Refuses to Honor 6-Month Plea Deal, Cites "Terrorism"	February 04, 2010
*Salt Lake Tribune: Depending on who you believe, William James Viehl is either Harriet Beecher Stowe or a terrorist. U.S. District Court Judge Dee Benson voted for the latter and on Thursday sentenced Viehl to two years in prison for releasing hundreds of minks from a South Jordan farm. "I don't know any better word for it than 'terror,'" Benson said during a long explanation of his decision. "It's a form of terrorism." Viehl last year pleaded guilty to one count of damaging and interfering with animal enterprises. On Aug. 19, 2008, Viehl helped release about 425 female and 225 male minks from the farm. Vehicles hit and killed seven, seven died of stress and 20 were never recovered, said the farm's owner, Lindsey McMullin. Viehl and his co-defendant also are accused of removing pedigree tags, forcing the McMullins to sell the females for their pelts rather than breeding them. more... Standard-Examiner (Salt lake City)*: A federal judge sentenced a Layton man to serve two years in a federal prison for damaging a mink farm in South Jordan. U.S. District Judge Dee Benson said Thursday that William James Viehl's letter to him did not "square up" with his Internet blogs. He was supposed to be sentenced Nov. 12, but Viehl's attorney, Heather Harris, asked Benson to continue the sentencing until January because Benson said he was inclined to send Viehl to federal prison for three to five years instead of the recommended six months. more...
Activist Carrie Feldman Remains Jailed for Refusal to Cooperate with Iowa Grand Jury Investigation of 2004 ALF Liberation of 401 Animals from Laboratory	February 01, 2010
*KCRG News (Iowa)*: After more than two months, a Minnesota activist remains behind bars for refusing to testify in front of an Iowa grand jury. The grand jury is looking into the 2004 break-in at Spence Laboratories on the University of Iowa campus. The Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for stealing hundreds of lab mice and leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars in both labs. Carrie Feldman, 20, refused to testify about the case. Federal prosecutors in Davenport ordered her held in contempt of court. A U.S. Appeals Court denied a motion to release her. more...
Self- Immolation in Front of Oregon Fur Store; Pain and Suffering of Millions of Fur-Bearing Animals Highlighted in Lethal Protest	January 28, 2010
*KATU News (Portland, OR): A man set himself on fire after pouring gasoline on himself outside Nicholas Ungar Furs at 12th and Yamhill Wednesday morning before police used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. He later died from his injuries at the hospital, police said. The man was identified as 26-year-old Daniel Shaull from Kansas, according to the Multnomah County medical examiner. It was not immediately clear whether Shaull was protesting against the store, which has had problem with animal rights activists in the past , but witnesses said he was screaming about the treatment of animals. "There are animals dying! Animals dying!" witnesses said Shaull was screaming as flames engulfed his body and shot above his head. more... Portland IndyMedia*: Yesterday, a man set himself on fire outside Ungar Furs, and burned himself to death. We know his name now: According to the Alliance, it was Daniel Shaull. And we know that he did what he did appears to have been in solidarity with the animals who continue to die horrible deaths, day after day after day, to keep Nicholas Ungar in business. We know that, even as he was on fire and undoubtedly in terrible pain, he mustered great strength and tried to go inside the fur store to spread the flames to the coats and garments and blood-stained profits of the last fur store in Portland. more...
Los Angeles Judge Rules Animal Liberation Front is not a "Gang"; Continues to Jail Peaceful Activist on $420,000 Bail	January 27, 2010
*San Diego Examiner: In a victory (one too few), a court ruled that the Animal Liberation Front ("ALF") was not a "gang." The Federal government indicted two animal rights protesters, 62-year old Faith Greene and 23-year old Richard Olliff, accusing them of being "gang members." However, Judge David S. Wesley finding that the prosecution's expert, Lt. Butte, had "misled the grand jury" ruled that the ALF did not meet the legal requirements to be considered a gang. Instead, Judge Wesley found that the ALF's "primary goal is to save animals, not commit crimes."* Nevertheless, other charges remain against the two animal activists. Meanwhile, Olliff and Greene have been in jail for the past nine months and will remain there for the time being as Judge Wesley refused to reduce bail from the government-requested $460,000 to the defense-requested $46,000. more...
Third Person Subpoenaed In 2004 Iowa ALF Action; Attorney Leana Stormont Served	January 22, 2010
*Quad City (Iowa) Times*: A University of Iowa College of Law graduate is the latest person subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury in Davenport regarding a 2004 animal-rights related break-in and vandalism at the university, according to an activist Web site. Voice of the Voiceless, a Web site of the Animal Liberation Movement, said Friday that Leana Stormont, a barred attorney and graduate of the Iowa law school, was called to testify about the Iowa raid. The Iowa alumni directory lists Stormont as living in Norfolk, Va. Activists claiming affiliation with the Animal Liberation Front, an underground animal-rights group, said they were responsible for the damage to lab equipment and the release of more than 400 rodents used in Iowa psychology department experiments. The break-in at Spence Laboratories and Seashore Hall was designated as domestic terrorism; university officials estimated damage in excess of $450,000. more...
Press Officer Jason Miller Arrested (and Released) in Blatant Political Move to Silence Free Speech in Kansas	January 22, 2010
*The Pitch (Kansas City): Whether dousing himself in cow blood or trying to block traffic, Jason Miller* 's campaign to save the deer in Shawnee Mission Park has often been met with law enforcement. Most notably, in late October, Miller visited the home of Michael Meadors , director of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District, to deliver a protest letter regarding the impending deer harvest. Meadors didn't take well to the personal visit and, after filing a report with Olathe Police Department, got a restraining order against Miller. Fast forward to December 8. That week, Canadian animal rights activist, Anthony Marr , flew to Kansas to lead a funeral motorcade through Shawnee Mission Park. Miller took Marr to the JoCo Parks and Rec administration building, where Meadors has an office, in the hope that county officials would meet with Marr about non-lethal means of dealing with the deer overpopulation. "Meadors wasn't even there," Miller says. "There were no incidents. We had a cordial conversation with the parks police officer in the lobby." Fast forward again to January 20. On Wednesday afternoon, when Miller returned home from work, two officers from the Johnson County Sheriff's Office were waiting to arrest him. The charge: "On or about the 8th of December, 2009, in the County of Johnson, State of Kansas, Jason S. Miller did then and there unlawfully, willfully, knowingly and intentionally violate a protection from abuse order." more...
Mexican Arrests in Crackdown on Liberationist and Anarchist Actions	January 18, 2010
*Denver Anarchist Black Cross*: Lately there have been a number of arrests in Mexico related to charges of ELF and other anarchist activity. Mexican activists are facing serious repression while the actions there are taking harder and harder. By now there are several vegan prisoners of the ELF raids. There are also some individuals who are on the run. Others are waiting for trials. I have found all the info in this web site: http://liberaciontotal.entodaspartes.net/ but I also have contact with the person who takes care of the magazine Rabia y Acción (Anger and action), which mostly deals with the ALF. more...
Judge Refuses to Step Aside After Pledging to Violate Plea Agreement of Liberationist BJ Viehl	January 12, 2010
*Salt Lake City Tribune*: U.S. District Judge Dee Benson has declined to step aside and let another jurist impose the sentence on William James Viehl, who has admitted releasing hundreds of mink at a South Jordan farm in support of animal rights. Viehl asked that his case be reassigned after Benson rejected a plea deal that called for a six-month prison sentence and said he intended to impose a term of at least two years behind bars. A prosecutor requested the term three times at a November hearing. In a written opinion on Tuesday, Benson turned down a defense argument that the government violated a plea bargain that called for it to recommend six months. more...
Activists Continue to Identify, Locate Animal Abusers in the Fur Industry	December 28, 2009
*VoiceoftheVoiceless.com: In what may be an emerging trend, anonymous activists have made public even more sensitive fur industry info. Just after The Blueprint was released, an anonymous communication surfaced on the internet from "The Fur Farm Intelligence Unit", publicizing the address of "Cascade Farms", a previously unknown Oregon mink farm. This information did not turn up in the 5-month Fur Farm Intelligence Project, and is a crucial addition to the fur farm address database. more... Download "The Blueprint" Here*
More Media Fascination With OSU Decision to Not Murder Primates; Was it the Money or Was It Animal Liberationists That Forced Their Hand?	December 18, 2009
*Stillwater (OK) News Press: An Oklahoma legislator openly chastised Oklahoma State University on Thursday, accusing OSU's administration of canceling research programs to curry favor with a wealthy donor and her animal rights agenda. St. Rep. Phil Richardson, R-Minco, said the stewardship of Madeleine Pickens, wife of billionaire OSU benefactor T. Boone Pickens, led to the cancellation of a recent anthrax research program. OSU President Burns Hargis refused to be interviewed for this article. An OSU spokesman said in a statement the university's decision had no outside influence from donors or animal rights groups. more... Enid (OK) News*: State Rep. Phil Richardson issued a press release Thursday, stating Oklahoma State University is caving in to animal rights extremists when it comes to the use of animal test subjects for infectious disease research. Richardson's press release said he was "concerned by the actions of OSU officials, which appear designed to cater to animal-rights fanatics instead of providing a sound education in agricultural sciences." Richardson, who received his doctor of veterinary medicine from OSU in 1967, said the decision was consistent with others made in the past year "to curry favor with the Humane Society of the United States and the wife of the university's major donor, an avowed animal rights activist." more...
Animal Liberation front Linked to Car Burnings in Mexico; Animal Abusers Targeted at Rate Higher Than Anywhere in the World!	December 16, 2009
*Associated Press*: Investigators have found evidence linking an animal rights group to homemade bombs that burned seven vehicles in Mexico City, a prosecutor said Wednesday. The symbol of a local version of the Animal Liberation Front was found painted near the attacks in a residential neighborhood on the city's south side, assistant city prosecutor Luis Genaro Vasquez told the Televisa news network. An anarchist symbol was also found. Police have detained three youths who say they are 17-years-old. Jerry Vlasak, a press officer for the U.S.-based North American Animal Liberation Press Office, said his organization receives anonymous news statements from the Mexican group but does not know who its members are because they operate secretly. He said he had not received any statement about the car burnings, but added it would be typical of the Mexican's group actions. more...