It may well be we look back on the struggle for animal rights and decide that this was the time the battle was lost. The increase in violent attacks carried out by some in the movement has given the government all the excuse it needs to adopt draconian tactics and measures.

A few supporting articles from the Daily Mail and Telegraph where the words "Terrorist" are used freely will ensure public support.

Sure, support from Mail and Telegraph readers. But not the vast majority who have shown their anger for this government in the recent elections. It's just another nail in Labour's coffin.. while they continue to dig their own grave.

The animal rights movement has not been well served by those who have carried out direct violent attacks on companies and individuals. Public opinion and pressure was the key to ending animal cruelty but now the establishment has the excuse it needed to adopt 'anti-terrorist' style tactics.

We have all been aware of those who have been tempted by the large rewards offered by the pharmecutical industry and the damage their evidence has done to the cause. News that infiltration of organisations by police is widespread comes as no great surprise.

The resistance movement against the globalisation of capital is faced with an artificial dilemma - this was seen particularly during the Genoa protests- whose only purpose was to cause infighting.

Some say that "a wise ruler knows that his/her best weapon is to Divide and Rule"... that's true, except that this person is not wise, but just one of a few cunning parasites walking this earth, whose lifeblood is exploitation...

This cunning attempt to "divide and rule" has caused some problems, especially in times of confusion and misinformation as in Genoa, but in most cases the "violent vs non-violent" distinction has been identified as just another plan of the authorities to cause infighting and splits as a first step... so when the split is made, and solidarity is broken, the second stage of this hypocritical division is to allow the authorities (police, mainstream media, courts etc) to attack - by use of physical force, propaganda, prosecution, eviction etc, so as to isolate and contain any form of direct or indirect resistance. So, in most parts of the continental Europe, this cunning attempt to divide the movement is played out again and again by the media. Fortunately, in most cases, it does not affect the people who resist.

In Britain the situation is quite different... This is not the time to give examples and to start blaming each other about things of the past. But, in the very near future, the G8 summit will take place here, so we should be extremely careful in believing and reproducing what they want us to... If we want our movement to survive, and to affect genuine change, we must listen to, and understand each other more than we have done so in the past.

So, in order to build solidarity – to create a stronger movement, this is a first attempt for mutual understanding. That's why we must make a number of things clear:

If someone chooses to use a non-confrontational method of resistance for instance a sit-down protest, but another chooses to destroy property*** or to defend himself by actively resisting, that's not in any way controversial. These are simply different tactics used in different circumstances. The problem in our movement begins when tactic becomes an ideology and sectarian divisions appear.

*** When people speak about property destruction, we should explain, that by property we are NOT talking about personal possessions – for instance a family car, or for that matter local fish&chips or a bakery, but what exists to protect and serve the power of the few and to impose slavery and exploitation over the masses - banks, multinational institutions, police stations, embassies etc. These are a part of an authoritarian mechanism which serves the state and the capital... on the other hand a phonebox or bus shelter, while belonging (according to the laws at least) to the state, cannot be used in anyway against the people.

So let's move to the main point... If we accept that:

...defending yourself and people around you from a baton charge by mindless pigs,
...actively (instead of applauding them) releasing arrested people,
...destroying the very means that the bosses use to enslave the masses,
...pushing through police lines which protect a few rich bastards who make plans on how to become richer,
...attacking a "red zone" which is there to prevent freedom of movement,

is an act of violence, then what should we call:

...our day-to-day exploitation in producing goods, a process by which we are forced to hand them over to the property owners (ie the bosses)?
...the never ending murders of our brothers and sisters who die while working for the bosses (what they like to call working "accidents")?
...the fact that in order to feed ourselves and our children, we cannot afford to buy what we produced with our own hands?
...the suicidal destruction of the environment which is carried out by the very same few bosses who care only about power and authority?
...the fact that a bunch of parasites have several houses and cars when a large section of the British population are homeless?
...the fact that the same bastards steal millions from the people by way of taxes in order to set up sophisticated surveillance systems to control the whole population?
...the fact that a few jerks are travelling in circles around the earth when millions of people are dying from curable diseases?
...the never ending wars for power which cause genocide, mass killings, and destroy whole cultures?

This is violence! It is hypocritical to speak of violent protesters when people collectively decide to defend themselves or to confront with dignity a fully armed and ruthless mechanism, which in this case is called the police.

In Palestine and in other areas of the world, the state is using a similar tactic, but it uses slightly different terms... it calls terrorists the 14 year old kids who consciously confront Israeli tanks! it calls terrorist the people who fight back for their lives when their houses are demolished by bulldozers and their neighbours are killed by Apache helicopters.

The "violence - non-violence" issue is an artificial division used only to create a division in our movement! Let's stop reproducing the state propaganda! The monopoly of violence belongs to the state not to the people who resist! Our strongest weapons against state terrorism are:

SOLIDARITY! DIGNITY! RESISTANCE!

In this authoritarian and inhuman system one human life costs less than a broken window… THEY SPEAK OF PROFITS, WHEN WE SPEAK OF HUMAN LIVES!

>MI5 and Special Branch has infiltrated several extreme animal rights organisations and this had led to the recent run of arrests.

What recent run of arrests??

Who the hell have they infiltrated? This is bullshit.

Bullshit!

Look if you want to put your head in the sand sonny that's up to you but the reality is the police have made a number of arrests throughout the Animal Rights community. You're right in saying they haven't been widely reported but that in its self is suspicious and reeks of the government asking the mainstream media not to report it.

A combination of large financial rewards being offered, Police infiltration of groups and turf wars have all played a part.

The news about these arrests must be told, don't try to hide them.

You fucking arsehole Stinger .. Why make a big point out of a few arrests of AR activists on UK-IMC? Do you think anyone really gives a shit about your 'scandalous' post? Wanker.

Brave ALF activities will go on and on and on regardless of your pathetic scare stories ... You piss in the wind.


Ha ha ha, Bye Bye stinger ;)

'Sting' another troll like 'Henry' throwing their shit stained tuppence in.

How tiresome are these pervs?

Insulting me because I'm telling the truth will not help the cause. People are being arrested, the activists community needs to know about these events and the change in Police tactics. Why are you trying to deny support to those being held, how will you feel when they come for you ? Think of someone besides yourself.

say the names of the ones arrested in order for others to launch a solidarity campaign.. or shut up!

If you don't say names then it means that you are trying to play a dirty game of panic and fear... the usual kind of game played by the police pricks who post in Indymedia...

Over the last 10 years animal rights activists have been one of the lefts (perhaps only) real successes. Having been let down by democratic representatives, they have shown how well direct action can work if it is well planned and executed.
The recent scare-mongerring in the press has been motivated by fear, not from individuals who might have been threatenned, but from city financers who have put up 25 million pounds in rewards for the arrest and conviction of activists. These people have also pressurised the government to legislate further to protect their and their clients profits.
If the ALF or other such groups were highly infiltrated there would be no need for all this reward money and nonsesense of tougher legislation. It seems absurd to give animal rights activists a tougher sentence for breaking a particular law, or make only them guilty in law of a particular action - this is criminalising the being against cruelty to animals.
The press has presented outrageous propaganda to promote this coordinated effort from business, the police and the Home Office - from Daily Mail to the Guardian. I am sure it will back fire and give the Animal Rights movement a boost.

In the last month the following have either been arrested or questioned by the police

Judith Saunders (Oxford)
Richard Saunders (Oxford)
Sarah Saunders (Oxford)

Bo Richards (Oxford)

Dave Polson (London) as of Sunday morning still being held at Brixton Police Station

Angela Scott (London)

Anabelle Kirsten-Warn (Guildford)

I could go on, these people have received support from us. Others we have still to contact.

Now stop screwing around on Indy media denying events and help !

Bo in Oxford was arrested )early Tuesday morning) and questioned for 8 hours but is now home. He said he was surprised at the information the police had, phone records, credit card purchases, CCTV recorded visits to shops etc. all showing his life over the past few months.

Just to try and screw things up for him the Police also contacted his employer (Hart council) to let them know he had been arrested, no word from them yet about any action. Bo is not downhearted and is determinted to continue the fight.

"Over the last 10 years animal rights activists have been one of the lefts (perhaps only) real successes."

I must disagree, the way in which I have seen us manipulated in the past few years just makes me want to cry. Drugs companies in particular have been able to secure massive establishment grants by playing the fear card. Those organisations that have closed in the UK were going to anyway to continue their research in cheap developing countries where protection for animals in non existent. We fell into the trap of organisations that wanted and needed to leave the UK but seeked to avoid the negative publicity of doing so. We gave them the excuse and now animals continue to suffer, just not in Britain.

We have been labled terrorists and the majority of the UK population thinks that's what we are, as a result legal methods will be used to oppress us, animals will suffer through our inability to act.

The only way we were going to stop animal abuse in this country was through legislation now we are not taken seriously the public support that would have enabled this has gone.

I'm not sure there have been that many arrests throughout the country (perhaps 20 or so) but there has certainly been a lot of visits, presumably to try and scare people off. The contacting of employers (what Bo suffered) is an old police tactic and can be effective if the employer is a government or local authority.

Here in the South of England our group has seen a number of attempts by police to place spies within the organisation, the first were pretty easy to spot but it has got difficult and we now prefer to keep our organisation low key with no new members being admitted unless they are known to at least three existing people.

How the hell can people reading this support a 'bunch of names'???

what about printing some email addresses, po box addresses etc.

Have I just stepped in some?

It would be interesting to know why Bo was arrested, and what he was questioned about. His experience seems very similar to Annabelle's (on a more recent thread) who wont divulge why she was she was arrested or what she was questioned about.

Although Bo's mum wasn't followed apparently the police have CCTV of him going into shops. Did Bo get a Video show of the cops tryin to catch him pinching? Unusual and weird if they did. Perhaps they were putting the Big Brother frighteners on him?

It would be useful if Bo could let us know what went on.

Anabelle, Sarah & Stingo are being defeatist and devisive they are whipping up fear and apathy, by spreading unsubstantiated stories and rumours. It's similar to the propaganda that has come from the mainstream media over the last few weeks, although they have been branding animal rights protesters as terrorists for donkeys years. What's new? Well, some businesses are loosing a lot of money, and the state is moving to protect their "freedom" to exploit and abuse.

How would these peolpe know that the ALF and other groups were heavily infiltrated by Special Branch and MI5 - and this top cop certainly wouldn't say so public, he'd keep well quiet about it, if it were true.It's bollocks, of course they aren't. MI5 and SB can't get smart enough people to do that, their people rarely get past the periphery, and are used as provocateurs and for elementary data gatherring (names etc..). A little bit of common sense and vigilance keeps these weirdos at bay. It takes dozens and dozens of them to follow one person - so they aint doin too much followin.

So Anabelle, Stingo, and Sarah show me that I am wrong. Show us that you are not Provocateurs.

Animal rights extremists are finally seeing what happens when you piss off the rest of society as a whole. Better get used to it - did you think you could just go around attacking people and digging up graves and we'd all just sit back and take it?

And just look at the extremist wankers amongst you trying to silence your voices! You don't need any conspiracy theories to come up with oppressors - you've got a horde of would-be fascists right amongst you. God help the animal rights movement if any of these nut jobs ever got into a position of power.

To all you paranoids out there, fuck off the attacks on people and businesses, stick to legal forms of protest, use the democracy we're so lucky to enjoy (show me a better one) and you've got nothing to worry about. NOTHING.