Skip to content or view screen version

Lush attacked by extremists - where's NETCU?

busybee | 19.10.2009 22:51 | Animal Liberation

Several Lush stores have been vandalised by violent exremists who support fox hunting. In some cases staff have been threatened with physical violence.

Daily Mail reports that many LUSH stores have been attacked by bloodsport extremists including countryside alliance supporters (Countryside alliance stickers have been stuck to shops).

See article here  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221454/Cosmetics-company-attacked-vandals-launching-anti-fox-hunting-campaign.html

In some cases staff have been threatened and in one a man repeated came into a store and wrecked the display. AN off duty copper asked him to leave!! (why not arrest him?!)

I wonder what NETCU are doing? If someone knows managers of Lush please can you ask them to contact NETCU and ask them to use their resources to stop these hunting extremists.

busybee

Comments

Hide the following 35 comments

Fucking disgrace!

19.10.2009 22:57

Well said. I hate the Cunty Side Alliance.....

Mandy in Camden
- Homepage: http://www.myspace.com/mandycamden

D.I.Y

20.10.2009 00:00

Patrol the shops yourselves until december when any threat may disappear cos of the end of the promotion? Small dose of anarchy. Fuck the cops.

v3g4n

hypocrites

20.10.2009 00:50

Hypocrisy of the highest order! You applaud when the ALF and Hunt Retribution Squad attack butcher shops, farms, hunt kennels, angling suppliers, pet stores, fur shops, and dig up old ladies. Yet when the same happens to you it's suddenly a disgrace?

The old phrase don't give, what you can't take springs to mind

We all know that certain members within the HSA also support direct action via the ALF, don't lie. If you don't like these recent actions which are payment for everything you've done to us for the past 20 years, stop carrying out ALF actions. Simple really.

Lush is simply trying to be provocative in communities hit by the hunt ban, what do you expect promoting violent anti hunt groups? That the locals would welcome you with open hands?

foxes are pests

Are foxes responsible for global warming?

20.10.2009 07:45

How dare ANY human decry any other species as a "pest" when we have defiled water, air and soil globally and still wreck destruction on all life?
This post simply points out the disgraceful bias of the police. If a hunt kennels or lab had been targeted the police would have made it a priority to catch those responsible it would have been called terrorism. When hunt supporters are alleged to have done exactly the same thing the poor dears were "provoked".
I the police responded efficiently, fairly and without bias to both sides I would have more respect for them. As it is generally speaking with a couple of honourable exceptions the police are the hunting fraternity's servants and I speak as someone who has been on both sides of the fence over the last 28 years.
I was arrested for trying to film an illegal hunt in March and no expense has been spared pushing through the prosecution, compare this to how the police drag their feet over any evidence we present on illegal hunting.
As for ALF activity? If we do as they say get the evidence, present it to Parliament and get a law passed after 100 years of lobbying they refuse to enforce it so quite frankly why bother? Badger baiting and dog fighting are on the up, no-one in power is really interested in stopping these atrocities. One thing that does stop animal abuse directly is liberating the oppressed and decimating torture equipment. These are selfless acts to preserve and save life in a society that regards living individuals as "property" or "vermin". When the pro hunters attack Lush it is a selfish act, a bullying act to stop all questioning of what they do to wildlife.
I have known hundreds of hunters and hundreds of animal rights activists and believe you me the most scary violent people are within the ranks of the hunt which is perhaps why the police avoid arresting them.

Lynn Sawyer
- Homepage: http://netcu.wordpress.com

to hunters

20.10.2009 07:47

to hunters ,

We know that it must be upsetting for you having to go through life without a chin and so you feel you have to take out you frustration on defenceless animals. We also understand that people no longer allow you to sleep with the new bride in the village on her wedding night as your fore-fathers used to in feudal times. But taking it out on us Lush workers won't work, we'll just kick your arse's. The idiot that came in my store couldn't believe it when I ejected him, and to answer his question no I don't know who yo are, but guess what, I don't give a fuck who you are. If you come into my shop again and throw soap and bottles at my staff I'll throw you out again, next time I won't be as careful where you end up.

As for 'communities losing their jobs' my father was a miner I didn't see you chinless wonders losing any sleep when us working class lost our jobs.

Get a Chin

Most violent

20.10.2009 09:04

Yes they should deal with the most violent. No one at Ratclife threatened anyone with injury did they. These hunters have threatened and assaulted staff across the country, therefore the hunters are the most violent.

NotNetcu either

What's Lush?

20.10.2009 09:44

and how am I expected to know?

outsider

Not the cops!

20.10.2009 09:48

Agree phoning the cops is the wrong thing to do. I don't have much of an alliance with 'ethical' consumerist outlets like lush but if you care. Talk to your local shop, try and sort free self defense lessons, hang around and see if you can get a photo of any of the hunt scum.

@non

do you really want to start defending corporations?

20.10.2009 09:58

Lush may be giving money to some causes close to your heart, but do you really want to go down the road of defending a corporation, any corporation, which ultimately is part of the capitalist consumer culture driving our world to environmental destruction and human misery?

A bit of a while ago now, a leaflet was produced by the excellent London Greenpeace called 'what's wrong with the body shop', much of their critique applying to the '600 stores in 43 countries' Lush today -  http://www.mcspotlight.org/beyond/companies/bodyshop.html

Ripping that off a bit, the main points being - the image of being a caring company with environment / social justice / etc at its heart, and producing 'natural' products, is basically manipulating people's idealism in order to make profits. Their advertising and marketing (including the clever and provocative) creates demand for products where real need doesn't exist and promotes the message that you can be happier, more ethical, etc by buying more of their products, so fuelling the consumerist society which is so detrimental to our world.

It would be a bit of an odd spectacle to see activists and anarchists defending this shopping mall staple.

foo

Foo

20.10.2009 11:01

You can't live in this modern country and not support some sort of corporate, it's impossible, wake up shit head.

Modern human

Not asking for police

20.10.2009 11:49

I read the original post as being a bit tongue in cheek. However, the Origina post has a point, this would be a NETCU issue if it was the other way round. Interesting that Lush is being attacked because they want the police to up-hold the law!

As for standing around shops defending them? Why defend private property? On saturdays from start of November hunt sabs will be out protecting foxes not defending private property. It's the police job to defend private property! They should start.

Glad to see the Lush employee on this thread stood up to the countryside alliance scum.

Fair's fair

@ foxes are pests

20.10.2009 14:59

The facts are thus:

-This post is simply pointing out police bias in enforcing the law. The rule of law is not the rule of law if it is selectively enforced, this is not to say we agree with it we are just pointing out the hypocrisy.

-Animal rigghts actions cannot be compared to actions of hunt supporters. The animal rights movement is trying to defend animals that are under attack, hunters are trying to defend attacking animals. The attackers use of force is unjustified, the defenders use of force can be justified.

Good day.

ARA

Don't confuse animal rights activists with Anarchists..

20.10.2009 16:09

Animal rights activists are single issued blinkered folks who only see the plight of animals as being important. They are predominantly capitalist by nature and have no problem with the state and its aparatus as long as it sides with their view on protecting the animals. I wish it were different but if you examine comments above and all other postings you will realise this. They try to use the idea that they are Anarchists to the point where they hijack postings so as to draw attention but they are so far removed from the reality of Anarchism. Thats Fact!

@narchist

The CSA threw fireworks at the police in parliament square

20.10.2009 17:20

They threw fireworks, fired flare guns at police and shotgun cartridges were found after their riot in Parliament Square. They hit police people. [Great photos of hunters being "beaten up" in the Daily Heil when other papers didn't have bits removed and showed it was the other way around...]
Let the cops get them and get some payback.....hunters are violent mad scum.

not the cops

To @narchist

20.10.2009 17:50

What a ridiculous thing to say. Some animal rights people are anarchists others are not. Comments by non-anarchist activists do not invalidate the anarchist activists viewpoint. What may lead to confusion among people from an non-AR background is the fact the animal rights movement is not as sectarian as other movements – we focus on the issue at hand.

I am not an anarchist but am certainly not 'only interested in animals' indeed few animal rights people are. Animal rights people show huge amounts of solidarity with other movements and I'm very proud of that. This solidarity is seldom reciprocated.

To me as a non-anarchist I would rather an innocent was saved, whether that be an animal being hunted or child being abused, than not. If the cops do it good, if an activist does it good. I'm results orientated.

ARA

My point exactly ARA

20.10.2009 18:14


You miss the bigger picture!

@narchist

put it this way

20.10.2009 20:06

I believe that the animal liberation movement could well be 'preparing the ground' toward an anarchist existance. Think about it.

just another bloody V3G(A)N

Missing the bigger picture...

20.10.2009 21:05

While many animal liberationists are "rights" orientated reformists who miss the bigger picture, many anarchists are human liberationists who miss the bigger picture; that of human, non-human and earth liberation (liberating all creatures and their/our habitats).

In summary, ARA's think the world can be saved by more laws while most anarchists are too ignorant too notice that until none are oppressed all are oppressed. It's easy to look at others and see how they are missing the bigger picture whilst you are also missing it yourself.

Next you'll be telling me human liberation is a *bigger* picture and more revolutionary than human AND non-human (animal) liberation, when in reality animal & earth liberation is the bigger picture; it's just how to percieve it as a genuinely liberating struggle is the question.

veg@n

To @narchist

20.10.2009 21:13

I'm not anarchist but there is alot of anarchists in AR. My non-anarchist views doesn't make the anarchist ARAs any less anarchists.

ARA

anarchism

20.10.2009 21:33

I am another vegan anarchist. I might not be schooled in Bakunin or Goldman, but I hate the state and wish for a society with out government.

But I ain't at all interested what more traditional anarcho-whatevers think of the animal rights movement. Who gives a shit? Those people have achieved fuck all, and are as useful as a piss hole drilled in a snow bank. They're more fucking interested in petty sniping, arguing and fucking blatant arrogance towards a large section of society who they clearly deem beneath their intellectual capabilities. If they can't even respect other human beings no wonder the concept of animal liberation is too advanced for them.

If a greek, Italian, or spanish anarchist was to sit me down and say "hold on a sec, what's all this animal liberationist nonsense?" then I'd listened, but for some cunt who's probably most revolutionary activity so far has been stealing a book on the Spanish Civil War from Waterstones, or shouting "shame at you" at the police on a STWC outing is just planley insulting a great movement which is made up of people who are prepared to go to prison for the beliefs and die for their beliefs.

Here's the reasons why certain types of anarchists hate the animal rights movement:

1. It is in out and out confrontation with the state.
2. It is predominantly made up of ordinary working class people.
3. It advocates direct action and working outside of the legal system if needs dictate.
4. It has seriously damaged corporate financial interests.
5. It recieves a good load of support from joe public.

Everything that makes a anarchist's wet dream, but they're too fucking lazy and useless to attempt themselves.

silly bollocks

Well said!

20.10.2009 22:45

Jealousy is the main issue here. These so-called anarchsits wish that the force to defend non-humans were used to defend humans. They prioritise their own species' struggle, deny their biological identity and believe in the media delusion that the two social movements are mutally exclusive entities, instead of interconnected through the terminology animal liberation.

This wouldn't be the first time individuals have obsessed over their own social group and completely ignored the struggles of others either, infact it has happened throughout history. You expect it least from anarchists, but a lack of solidarity still happens in these instances.

@

Silly bollocks indeed...

20.10.2009 23:43

I have been an anarchist and animal rights activist for nearly 30 years and I would just like to comment on what 'silly bollocks' said:

Here's the reasons why certain types of anarchists hate the animal rights movement:

1. It is in out and out confrontation with the state. NOT TRUE!
2. It is predominantly made up of ordinary working class people. NOT TRUE!
3. It advocates direct action and working outside of the legal system if needs dictate. PARTIALLY TRUE!
4. It has seriously damaged corporate financial interests. PARTIALLY TRUE!
5. It recieves a good load of support from joe public. MAINLY TRUE!

1. Most of the AR movement in Britain and internationally is composed of liberal pressure groups/national socieites such as the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), Animal Aid, League Against Cruel Sports, etc. These organizations firmly believe in working within capitalism and state law. Even more radical groups such as PETA and the Hunt Saboteurs support state action such as passing laws against animal abuse.
Some groups such as SHAC and SPEAK in Britain have come into conflict with the state in recent years as a by product of their campaigning. They have tried to close down a lab or stop one being built and as a result have suffered repression but this does not mean they are anticapitalist or anarchist.

2. I would say the AR movement in Britain contains a cross section of social classes with a tendency towards upper working/lower middle class people. Usually the more senior members of national groups tend to be more middle class.

3. As I have already explained, most AR groups - even the more radical ones - advocate working within the legal system. This is more true today than it was 20-30 years ago when the BUAV, for instance, carried reports of ALF actions in its newsletter. Obviously there are some organizations dedicated to direct action, for example the ALF/ELF so this statement is partially true. It is also worth noting that these days SHAC goes out of its way to say it is a law abiding group, even to stating on its website that its demos are organized in cooperation with the police.

4. Most AR campaigns have not seriously damaged corporate interests but a few have. Huntingdon Life Sciences came close to bankruptcy in 2001 as a result of the SHAC camapign. Other companies have been damaged and there is no doubt that the fur trade took a tremendous hammering in Britain in the 1980s, though it has recovered to some degree.
Set against this is the fact that a number of groups go out of their way to endorse corporate capitalism. The collaberation between the Hunt Saboteurs and Lush is an example of this. No doubt the HSA would say this will bring them much needed funds and raise their profile but they are still getting into bed with capitalism. And Lush isn't a vegan company either.

5. Largely true I think. Opinion polls have consistently shown public opposition to the fur trade, animals in circuses, factory farming and hunting. Even on the issue of animal testing there is a significant minority of people - around 35% - who are against medical experiments.

Paul Vegan Anarchist

oh seems like some feathers were ruffled here

21.10.2009 07:49

Well said Paul. I too was involved in the AR movement for many years, Hunt sabbing , Hillgrove etc etc but I found the mind set of so many people involved so blinkered on the single issue. Capitalism is at the heart of animal abuse so it must be the main target but that refers to capitalism as a whole not just where it involves animals. The state is the protector of capitalism so it too must be brough to its knees (not seen as decent as long as it toes the AR line), a tough job I know but that is the reality of what I as an anarchist must aim for. So any of you oh so pure Vegans throwing insults my way please add some intelligent responses.

@narchist

..anarchy is this years thing

21.10.2009 14:56

don't be surprised

poison girl

@ was written by SHACWATCH

21.10.2009 17:03

sneaky sneaky sneaky....

Anon

FUNDAMENTALISM FOR ANARCHY

21.10.2009 17:17

Paul, you're off your fucking trolley mate. Let me get this right, you've been around in the animal rights movement for 30 years and you still consider the League and BUAV as animal rights groups? You're unbelievable after moaning that Lush isn't a vegan company!

I'm just interested in what both you and @narchist are actually doing to abolish capitalism. I want facts, figures, details, everytime you farted. And I will be using red pen for any mention of campaigns that are within the law, urge for laws to be changed or strengthened (workers rights etc.). I would also like to know the date when I will wake up and capitalism has been abolish over night.

To claim the HSA is "going out of it's way to endorse corporate capitalism" is hysterical fucking nonsense - Lush is giving the HSA £30,000, the HSA has put one article on it's website about it. You really should be looking at your priorities if you don't consider this a good thing.

My point was never that the animal rights movement is an anarchist movement. It is not.

At the end of the day, you two are just a pair of bitter, fundamentalist cranks that have probably never achieved anything worth while in your whole intire lives. @narchist is also a hypocryte of the highest order and a bigot, quite happy to blanketly insult a wide range of people in the style of the Daily Mail, but unwilling to take a bit of flak hiself. You've got all the right answers and know exactly what to do yet you deciede to spend your time moaning on the internet about boys and girls who are actually risking their necks. Don't like something? Change it, run your own campaign, fight your own way, live your own life.

The reason you two sit on the net talking shit is because you're clueless about the world you live in. You're full of shit, and everybody knows it. Do one.

FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS, VEGETARIANISM, ANARCHISM AND AN END TO CAPITALISM. AGAINST TIME WASTERS, FUNDAMENTALIST, BIGOT, CRANKS, BIG GIRL'S BLOUSES, PESSIMISTS, MOANERS AND OTHER SHIT TALKERS.

silly bollocks

there's one way for @narchist to prove he's not full of shit

21.10.2009 17:23

All he needs to do is post his first name, and what sab group he used to go out with, and when. Can't see why that would be a problem in anyway shape or form.

silly bollocks

silly talk

21.10.2009 17:38

>> The reason you two sit on the net talking shit is because you're clueless about the world you live in. You're full of shit, and everybody knows it. Do one.

haha priceless. These people are still part of the world.

"Do one" lol.

Towards a fascist AR dictatorship?

. ..Yes sir, we will .. .

Where are we fucking living???????????

no-noncence

Oh silly bollocks

21.10.2009 18:21

I don't need to prove anything to you you arse but to appease your little mind I was with the Chiltern hunt sabs from 1997 to 2000 and have been very involved in the anarchist movement from prague 2000 to now.

@narchist

Yawn

21.10.2009 18:29

Single issue...blah blah blah. Anti-speciesism is only as single issue as you make it, same as anti-sexism, anti-racism or anti-capitalism. BUAV being AR though, what a classic!

@

to "Yawn"

21.10.2009 18:59

one way to get out of it I suppose with a few last mercenary comments

awake

Gets my vote.

21.10.2009 20:43

Anyone who fights for the oppressed, whether human or animal gets it, although we anarchist types tend to avoid voting. Lush has helped Climate camp and now they are
helping animal rights activists. They might be a business but good luck to them.

Weary

Just to add yet another comment

21.10.2009 23:15

As though there weren't too many to read through already.

I'm a hunt sab and an anarchist.... technically.

I don't believe the way we can stop hunting is through laws - we've already seen how shit the "hunt ban" has been and how ineffective it is - same with the badger cull - even if it doesn't officially go ahead, badgers are still going to be killed illegally.

I also don't believe in all these labels that we're giving eachother. It seems really silly the majority of the time because we all believe in different things, feel differently towards different ideas and perspectives on situations... there are times when someone will say "anarchists believe..." and I don't fully agree with them. Someone in a previous comments said that the hunt sabs association believe that laws will help... I don't, but I'm a hunt sab - the only way we can stop hunts from killing foxes is by getting out there and sabotaging them. And I'm happy to keep doing what I can towards this for the rest of my life... I'm not waiting for some miracle law to pop up and take over from me.

I read the orginal post, as other people have said, in a way that just shows the bias of the police. While not wanting to support any company or corporation, I do have thanks for Lush as they have been unofficially supporting hunt sabs for a while now and now want to help us out officially - and having that open support from a well-known and loved high-street store is really good... it brings the issue of hunting into the open in places where people would maybe not think about it otherwise. And it's not just to be provocative in communities "hit by the hunt ban" - what, like Liverpool Street and Regent Street in London??

I don't agree with the comment that all "ARAs" are blinkered, single-issue people. I certainly am not! I've been involved in environmental and human rights campaigns as well. But I can also see that there are problems and issues that people (in whatever "movement" they class themselves as being in) have to decide for themselves, on an individual basis, how comfortable they are with supporting different things.

I, for one, think that environmental activists who burn out or sabotage people's 4x4s aren't thinking very clearly as they're creating more waste and using up more energy - the car is wasted and then insurance covers the manufacture of another one... apart from pissing the person/company off and inconveniencing them a little, what have you done for the earth's liberation.

I'm all for constructive criticism, but I hate it when people make stupid comments, generalisations and when people call others "trolls" when they try to criticise or debate other people's articles or comments.

Hunt sab

nice for them with money to burn

22.10.2009 23:27

even if I borowed the cash to get into the city to get to Lush I'd have to nick the soap as I'd already be in debt

classy

@ classy

23.10.2009 00:22

If you aint got money, you've got a good set of legs on you right? Nout stopping you asking for a lift with nearby sabs and going out sabbing yourself?

Everyone can do something.

Green & Black