UK Animal Liberation Feature Archive
Corporate spy was active in Nottingham
09-02-2011 18:40
The Mark Kennedy case has thrown the world of police and private spying on activists into the spotlight. One of the many revelations about Kennedy is that he can be linked to private spying company Global Open. Kennedy worked as a consultant for them and set up his own company, Tokra, using the address of Global Open director Heather Millgate.
Nottingham Indymedia can reveal that a second spy linked to Global Open, Paul Mercer, was actively involved with environmental and animal rights campaigns in Nottingham, including Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill (NAIL). Mercer was involved in groups in Nottingham in the period 2002-2007.
Mercer was publicly exposed for his role in spying on anti-arms trade campaigners, Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) in 2007. His contract for the operation was finalised through Global Open.
Links: Spies on video - Martin Hogbin and Paul Mercer | Corporate spy was active in Nottingham | The 'censored' Mark Kennedy article | Mark Kennedy, Global Open Ltd and E.ON | BAE admits paying agents to investigate CAAT | NAIL Public Debate 12/4/06
Previous Features: Undercover police officer back in the spotlight | Mark Kennedy/Stone exposed as undercover | Three undercover political Police unmasked as infiltrators into UK Anarchist, Anti-Fascist and Climate Justice movements | Cop Infiltrators: PC Mark Kennedy AKA "Mark (Flash) Stone", "Lyn Watson", "Mark (Marco) Jacobs" and PC Jim Boyling, "Jim Sutton"
SchNEWS 745: Serious Organised Crime
28-10-2010 22:49
The six defendants in the second SHAC trial were hammered with vicious sentences this week. The harshest sentence was the six years handed down to 53 year old Sarah Whitehead. Sentences for the other defendants Tom Harris. Nicole Vosper, Jason Mullan, Nicola Tapping and Alfie Fitzpatrick ranged from a two year suspended sentence for the youngest, Alfie, to three and a half years for Nicole Vosper. All the defendants also copped lengthy ASBOs, which will prevent them from any further participation in animal rights activism.
On the Newswire:
In SchNEWS: 581 | 586 | 616 | 630 | 652 | 660 | 663 | 666 | 667 | 688 | 738
Links: www.shac.net | www.schac7.com |
Campaign launched to close down German dolphinarium
28-07-2010 09:43
"Not only do we have to fight criminal operations and cruelty to animals on the high seas but also take responsibility and direct action to help those who are imprisoned in concrete pools, doomed to entertain us."
Palawas, Nando, Kite and Rocko. Those are the given names to four bottlenose dolphins who are currently performing at the dolphinarium in Münster, Germany. Built in 1974 as part of the local zoo, the dolphinarium remains one of the last three of its kind in Germany. From the original nine facilities keeping dolphins in captivity, only Nürnberg, Duisburg and Münster are still blocking and ignoring concerns of animal welfare groups, conservationists, politicians and the public.
Links: The Black Fish | Save Japan Dolphins
Hunger strike against Leicester animal lab
16-06-2010 15:28
Protests continue against the construction of an animal lab at the University of Leicester. Activists have targetted various companies involved in the construction, including Willmott Dixon. On Monday June 7, activists held a protest outside the WD's headquarters in Coleshill, Birmingham. One campaigner chained himself to a bench and began a 3 day hunger strike.
The campaign was established following the university's announcement that it was going to be building a new animal lab on Lancaster Place. Whilst the university claims that "vital" research will be carried out at the facility, campaigners content that the new lab "is squandering money away from potentially life-saving research which is accurate and does not involve abusing animals."
On the newswire: Activist completes 3 day hunger strike outside WD office | Activist begins hunger strike protest at Willmott Dixon | Hunger striker to protest WD Coleshill | Pressure continued on Willmott Dixon in Coleshill
Previous feature: Proposed Leicester animal lab attracts protests
Links: Stop the Leicester Animal Lab | National Anti-Vivisection Alliance | Notts Indymedia animal liberation newswire
Nottingham hosts "first ever Vegan Beer Festival"
09-06-2010 17:00
On June 5-6, the Sumac Centre hosted the "first ever Vegan Beer Festival". Vegans and vegetarians are wary of real ales as they often use isinglass, derived from the swim bladders of fish, to make it less cloudy. This inspired a number of local vegans to organise the real ale festival as a way of demonstrating that there is an alternative.
The Saturday was a gloriously warm day and the event was well attended, with the alcohol flowing within minutes of the official opening at 12 noon. There were a range of beers available to try, along with several ciders and perrys. Interest was so great that the beer ran out on Saturday.
On the newswire: Vegan real ale festival | Sumac Vegan Beer Festival Saturday 5th June and Sunday 6th June
Links: Vegan Beer Festival | Nottingham Animal Rights | Nottingham CAMRA
Proposed Leicester animal lab attracts protests
05-05-2010 17:19
Animal rights activists dropped banners and protested on the roof of the construction site of a new animal lab in Leicester on Monday. Banners were also hung on other University of Leicester buildings.
The National Anti-Vivisection Alliance (NAVA) claim that 101 animals already die in the university's labs each day and that the proposed £15m facility will add to this. The university claims that only rodents will be used at the new facility, but NAVA say they believe that dogs will be used as well.
NAVA was rapidly formed following the university's announcement that it was going to be building a new animal lab on Lancaster Place. Whilst the university claims that "vital" research will be carried out at the facility, NAVA say that the new lab "is squandering money away from potentially life-saving research which is accurate and does not involve abusing animals."
Newswire: Activists Scale Leicester Animal Lab in Rooftop Protest | Action Alert #1 - Stop the Leicester Animal Lab | Location of the Leicester Animal Lab Building Site | New animal lab at Leicester; New nationwide campaign to start
Protests against 'Great' British Circus continue
20-04-2010 12:54
Since the notorious Great British Circus pitched up in Nottingham last Tuesday, there have been daily demonstrations by animal rights protesters outside. The protesters are angry that the circus uses animals for the "medieval" entertainment of punters with scant regard for their welfare. The circus uses tigers, zebras, camels and horses kept in "woefully small" cages for most of their lives.
Forcing animals to perform in travelling circuses, which is condemned by the RSPCA as "very harmful", may soon become illegal. Animal circuses are already banned on most council land across the country because of the cruelty and a recent Bristol university study into circus animal welfare came to damning conclusions.
On Sunday, 30 activists came to the demonstration at the circus' current venue, the Japanese Water Gardens in Toton, and other successful demonstrations were held last week. The activists are calling for concerned people to demonstrate the circus at its next venue in Leicester, when it arrives on Tue 27th.
Update: Following news of the ban on wild animals in circuses, Nottingham Animal Rights will be celebrating with cake and champagne at the Japanese Water Gardens, 2pm on Sunday.
Newswire: Circus protests continue in Nottingham and Leicester | Local activists protest circus cruelty | Great British Circus protests and much more
Previous feature: Nottingham Animal Rights get active
Links: Nottingham Animal Rights | Veggies Animal Rights Calendar | Captive Animals' Protection Society | Notts Animal Liberation topic
Full article | 1 addition | 5 comments
Week of Action Against University Vivisection
17-04-2010 12:32
Over the past seven days, animal rights activists have hit the streets and campuses nationwide, calling for an end to animal experimentation in universities as part of the Week of Action Against University Vivisection organised by SAEAB.
Protests: [ Sheffield | Cambridge | Dublin | Leeds | Bradford | UCL | Liverpool ]
SchNEWS: For Pete's Sake
15-04-2010 19:05
Banged up Sea Shepherd campaigner Pete Bethune is facing a long prison sentence after boarding a Japanese whaling ship during protests in the Southern Ocean in February. Operation Waltzing Matilda was the most successful Sea Shepherd campaign yet against illegal Japanese whaling (see SchNEWS 713), but it wasn't without a cost for Sea Shepherd after their £2 million boat the Ady Gil was rammed and sunk by a whaler on January 6th.
On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Links: www.seashepherd.orgBusy start to 2010 for Notts hunt sabs
04-04-2010 17:46
It has been a busy start to 2010 for Nottingham hunt saboteurs who have been sabbing in collaboration with sabs from Sheffield and Leeds. Hunts across the Midlands and North of England have been sabbed, in some cases for the first time in several years. The Lunesdale hunt on the Cumbria/North Yorkshire border, for instance, hasn't been sabbed in more than 20 years.
In spite of the legal ban on hunting with hounds coming into force in 2005, most hunts continue as they did before. The police, used to protecting hunts and repressing saboteurs, have changed little in their approach. Hunt saboteurs use direct action to save the lives of hunted animals.
It isn't just foxes which have been saved. Sabs have also intervened to stop ferreters and hare coursers. Now the hunt season is over until August/September, local sabs are considering sabbing some mink hunters in the summer and willl be working to protect badgers from baiting in South Yorkshire, and from culling further afield, from May.
On the newswire: Nottingham, Sheffield & Leeds Sabs January – March 2010 Report | National Animal Rights Spring Gathering
Previous features: Animal rights gathering in Notts | Busy year for Nottingham hunt sabs
Links: Hunt Saboteurs Association | Nottingham Hunt Sabs | Derby Hunt Sabs | Nottingham Animal Rights | Notts Indymedia Animal Liberation topic
Animal rights gathering in Notts
19-03-2010 15:37
On the weekend of 12-14 March, Nottingham Animal Rights and Veggies hosted the national animal rights spring gathering at Nottingham's Sumac Centre. This was a weekend of networking, workshops, discussions, actions and social activities and well attended by activists from across the county.
This included a city-wide (and beyond) Day of Action on Saturday 13 March, with campaigns against shops selling fur, foie gras and KFC, Greyhound Action, a demo against the 'great' British Circus, a vegan free food giveaway & McDonalds demo and a mass hunt sab. Following the day's campaigning, French Living have pledged to discontinue the sale of foie gras and thanks to the presence of Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs and many friends, no foxes were killed by the Grove and Rufford Hunt, on the last day of their season. Meanwhile residents at Waddington, near Lincoln, have pledged that the Great British Circus will never return.
On Sunday, Notts Stop the BNP got news that Nick Griffin was to speak at the Nag's Head, Sutton-in-Ashfield. Due to the short notice only a few campaigners were able to make the hastily organised protest. Fortunately, three minibuses of animal rights activists from the gathering arrived to show their opposition to the BNP.
Upcoming event; Animal Rights Summer Gathering, 27-30 August, near Northampton.
On the newswire: Griffin blames the labour party for blocking his meeting! | Report on protest against BNP Sutton meeting | KFC protest | Free Vegan food Giveaway at the AR Spring gathering | Nick Griffin vs animal rights | National Animal Rights Spring Gathering
Previous features: Another victory for anti-fur campaigners | Busy year for Nottingham hunt sabs | Nottingham Animal Rights get active
Links: Fur Free Nottingham | Greyhound Action in Nottingham | National Animal Rights Gathering | Nottingham Animal Rights | Nottingham Hunt Sabs | Notts Stop the BNP | Veggies | Notts Indymedia animal liberation newswire
Another victory for anti-fur campaigners
22-02-2010 16:17
The ongoing Fur Free Nottingham campaign against shops that sell fur has claimed another victory. Vintage Warehouse, on Lower Parliament Street, have agreed to adopt a fur free policy. The company follows Kitsch, Baklash and Cow who have all adopted fur free policies following protests outside their shops by Nottingham animal rights activists.
Over 50 million animals are killed every year for their fur and there are virtually no legal controls for the welfare of animals on fur farms. Animals on fur farms are caged raised and killed using methods such as neck breaking, anal electrocutions and gassing. Animals are sometimes skinned alive for their fur.
The protesters are now vowing to step up their campaign against Cashe and Flannels, the few remaining clothes shops in Nottingham that sell fur.
Newswire: Anti fur demonstration with a difference at Cashe Nottingham | Vintage Warehouse adopt a fur free policy during protest | Nottingham Animal Rights into the Teenies | Flannels protest after recent successes with local anti fur campaign. | Cow sign anti-fur pledge
Previous feature: Nottingham Animal Rights get active
Links: Campaign for a fur free Nottingham | Nottingham Animal Rights | Notts Indymedia Animal Liberation newswire
Busy year for Nottingham hunt sabs
16-01-2010 10:08
2009 was a busy year for Nottingham hunt saboteurs who were sabbing from September to December in collaboration with sabs from Sheffield and Leeds. They successfully sabotaged a number of hunts in the region including the South Notts, the Burton and Blankney hunts in Lincolnshire and the Meynall & South Staffs and High Peak hunts in Derbyshire. The saboteurs also held a successful fundraising event in Nottingham.
In spite of the legal ban on hunting with hounds coming into force in 2005, most hunts continue as they did before. The police, used to protecting hunts and repressing saboteurs, have changed little in their approach. Hunt saboteurs use direct action to save the lives of hunted animals.
Newswire: Nottingham Animal Rights into the Teenies | Sheffield, Nottingham & Leeds Saboteurs End Of Year Report | Sheffield Hunt Saboteurs | Nottingham Animal Rights Events
Links: Hunt Saboteurs Association | Derby Hunt Sabs | Nottingham Animal Rights | Notts Indymedia Animal Liberation topic
Direct Action To Remember Barry Horne
14-11-2009 08:24
Barry Horne was an animal liberationist who died in a UK prison hospital on November 5th 2001. He had been sentenced to 18 years in prison for a campaign of economic sabotage, carrying out criminal damage and arson attacks against companies involved in the vivisection, leather and fur industries. His actions were allegedly claimed in the name of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and sometimes the Animal Rights Militia (ARM), taking place in Bristol and the Isle of Wight
In prison he went on hunger strike several times in protest against government support for the vivisection industry, and their broken pre-election promises about animal experiments. The third of these hunger strikes lasted 68 days, and Barry never fully recovered. From this protest he generated worldwide publicity, and initiated a huge uprising of animal liberation activity, the effects of which are still being felt even today - eight years since his death.
His memory has been remembered every November, for being an inspiration to the movement and giving his life to animal liberation. This year actions have been dedicated to Barry from as far afield as Latin America, with dozens of deer returned to freedom by the ALF in Spain, 17 rabbits freed from a university in Uruguay (Video), four sheep rescued from a farm by the Igualdad Animal's Open Rescue Team in Spain (Pictures) and a Max & Co fur shop and leather shop painted red by the ALF in Italy and Chile. The Mexican ALF also rescued four ducks and two hens from a breeding farm (Pictures) and caused dirsruption to Novartis with a bomb hoax in the capital for Barry. There was also a protest outside HLS in rememberance of Barry in Occold, Suffolk by SHAC campaigners.
Related Articles: Fitwatch Press Release on AR raids | New Animal Liberation Prisoner (Europe) | Corporate Watch on Sean Kirtley's Release | Fight Speciesism! #7 - In memory of Barry Horne | Mexico: Alleged ELF Anarchist Arrested | Butane is in the eye of the bomb-holder | Wave of Anarchist Bombings | Emergence of an Unexpected Threat
Links: Bary Horne Memorial | Remember Barry | Barry Horne: ALF Tribute | Bite Back Magazine
Anti-vivisectionists march against Novartis after court victory
04-11-2009 08:26
As part of the SHAC campaign 70 people turned out for a demonstration and march against Novartis' headquarters (an animal research centre and top HLS target) in Horsham on Saturday 31st October.
Up until 2pm the day before Sussex Action For Animals (SAFA) were not even sure that the demonstration would be able to take place. Earlier in the month Novartis had attempted to get an interim injunction using the notoriously repressive solicitor Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden, known for numerous HLS injunctions and failing to seize a protestor's assets amongst other civil liberties issues.
Novartis were seeking to prevent banners on the demonstration from bearing the words "Novartis", or carry posters showing images of animal suffering. They didn't want protesters to be able to wear masks or costumes; in particular blood stained lab coats. They did also mention something about fireworks! However, despite the best efforts to dredge up any dirt they could to support their application, the judge found in favour of the campaigners.
Related Newswire: March and Protest against Novartis in Horsham | Horsham march in tussle over freedom to protest | Novartis threaten the right to protest banners and costumes | More articles
Recent features: March against Novartis on Saturday | Newcastle March & Demo Against Sanofi-Aventis | Direct Action Withdraws HLS Loan Facilities | Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares As Buyout Approaches | Operation Liberation Demo at Highgate Rabbit Farm | Novartis CEO's hunting lodge destroyed | Highgate Farm Protest Camp | Largest Shareholder Barclays and Top Investors Dump HLS | More features
Resistance To The Fur Trade
16-10-2009 18:23
With fur back in season so is the resistance to it. From raids at farms to sabotage of shops, this autumn has so far been another round of biting back. In the last two months farms imprisoning mink have been closed down in Germany by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and found abandoned in Italy by the Animal Liberation Investigation Unit (ALIU), while various shops selling fur have given up the cruel trade.
Since the launch of the West Yorkshire Animal Rights Group (WYARG) in August Best Vintage, Room 7, Accent Clothing and TK Maxx have stopped selling fur and with Daniel Footwear promising to follow suit, focus is now on Next One Leather (the last fur shop in West Yorkshire), by targeting their store and associates (1 | 2 | 3). In the West Midlands, the Western Animal Rights Network (WARN) launched a campaign against Madeleine Ann, ensuing three shops going fur free, with demos lasting under a month (1 | 2 | 3 | Video) after products were eventually sent back to the suppliers, ending their sale of fur products (Video). On the same day Le Scarpe issued a fur-free statement leading to harassment from police and new targets established in Cheltenham, while in the capital protests have escalated as anti-fur activists locked onto the London Fur Company's stall at the London Fashion Weekend, causing the organisers to ask the company to pack up and leave (Videos: 1 | 2).
Update: After two houses of campaigners in Leeds were raided in connection with an ALF action against Next One Leather, the fur shop has gone fur-free.
Links: West Yorkshire Animal Rights Group (WYARG) | It's A Knock Out | Next One Leather Campaign | Western Animal Rights Network (WARN) | Bite Back Magazine | Animal Liberation Front (ALF) | Max Mara Campaign | Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT)
Newcastle March & Demo Against Sanofi-Aventis
13-10-2009 22:26
Update: Newcastle Animal Rights raided by police
Newcastle Animal Rights Group in support with Vegi North East, SHAC Birmingham, SHAC Leeds, Hull Animal Rights along with numerous other animal rights groups and residents of Newcastle marched against vivisection on Octoboer 9th in the city centre of Newcastle before proceeding to demonstrate against top HLS customer Sanofi Aventis.
Activists met at Newcastle Civic Centre for 12 pm and then set off at 12.45pm armed with banners and placards, megaphones and loud voices making a visual and noisy march on Northumberland Street, gaining a lot of public support and cheers. The image was clear, the message was clear, NO TO ANIMAL CRUELTY, NO TO HLS!
Newswire: Report | Arrests | Photos | Video
Links: Newcastle Animal Rights | SHAC | SHAC topic page
Full article | 1 addition | 4 comments
Direct Action Withdraws HLS Loan Facilities
07-10-2009 20:34
Update: SHAC receive inside information proving the statement from Fortress to be a lie, so the campaign is relaunched against them.
In August this year, Anchor Sub Funding were exposed as the front company set up by BDO Luxembourg in 2006, that loaned $30 million to Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory, Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). In response, activists protested at offices in Birmingham, Cambridge, Berkshire, Bristol, Manchester, Dublin (Ireland), Gothenburg (Sweden) and a directors home in New York City (USA). The Animal Rights Militia (ARM) also visited the adresses of BDO directors in Luxembourg, leaving incendiary devices underneath an expensive car at one home and painting the other with death threats, before setting fire to the garden. The day after the ARM action was reported Anchor Sub Funding subsequently dissolved and cut its ties with HLS, withdrawing also from any future loans.
As a result, on September 25th, Fortress Investment Group were revealed as the company who payed BDO to set up the shell company. Within a week and at their first demo, Fortress stated they fully divested from HLS, a claim later authenticated by Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). The news comes at a cruical time as HLS CEO Andrew Baker attempts to complete a buyout of the company, now without Fortress' additional loan required to complete the deal.
Newswire: Welcome to HLS - Their Past is Their Future | Fortress Confirm They Have Withdrawn Loan Facilities For HLS | Fortress Divest in HLS? | HLS Financial Target Revealed: Fortress | Fires At Homes Of HLS Lenders | Latest on HLS financials | More articles
Related features: Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares As Buyout Approaches | Largest Shareholder Barclays and Top Investors Dump HLS | Top HLS Investors Dump Shares | Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares
Full article | 1 addition | 1 comment
Operation Liberation Demo at Highgate Rabbit Farm
30-09-2009 18:24
On Saturday 26th September, 350 people demonstrated outside Highgate Rabbit Farm in Lincolnshire, a supplier of rabbits and ferrets to the vivisection industry, including Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), Europe's largest and most exposed lab. The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) protest titled 'Operation Liberation' was part of the campaign to close down the farm and hailed as a success, bringing the attention of local people to the farms immoral practices.
Several short speeches were made by campaigners as protesters stood 750 metres from the farm which lies in Normanby-on-Spital. They were not allowed to stand any closer to the farm as police had placed a Section 14 Notice on the premises which forbids members of the public from passing the 750 metre perimeter. As demonstrators arrived police used a 12 by 6 foot banner to announce the implementation of the legislation.Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | Newswire: Report | Pictures | Open letter and pics of cops! | Message Left For Geoff Douglas | Phone Calls At All Hours For Perverts
Previous features: Operation Liberation: Highgate Rabbit Farm | Highgate Farm Protest Camp