AR-News: Lawsuits Against Activists Lead to Rise in Direct Action

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From:  hlssucks at yahoogroups.com 
Subject: Lawsuits Against Activists Lead to Rise in Direct Action


[closehls] Lawsuits Against Activists Lead to Rise in Direct Action 
Date: 4/8/04 5:47:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time 
From:    shacusa at envirolink.org 


Rise in attacks on animal testing staff  Robin McKie, science editor 
The Observer 

There has been a major upsurge in attacks by animal rights activists aimed 
at intimidating drug company staff and their families in the early months of 
this year. 

The terror campaign has included threats to the families of workers, bricks 
thrown through windows, graffiti sprayed on walls accusing staff of being 
paedophiles, tyres slashed and cars attacked with acid. 

As a result, 12 firms providing services for pharmaceutical companies and 
animal breeders decided to sever their links during the first eight weeks of 
2004. The pattern continued through March. 'There has undoubtedly been a 
major increase in activists' attacks this year,' said Philip Wright, of the 
Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries. 'It is extremely 
worrying.' 

Details of this intimidation campaign are outlined in a confidential ABPI 
file which is part of a new effort by drug companies to assess the effects 
of activists' efforts. The file shows that in January and February there 
were 23 instances of damage to personal property. This is a significant rise 
on the same months in 2003. There were seven instances of damage to public 
property and six to company property. 

There were also 15 public protests. On one weekend alone - 14 and 15 
February - the homes of five employees of the drugs company Yamanouchi, a 
favourite animal activists' target, were attacked. Windows were smashed, 
walls daubed and tyres slashed. Four of the houses concerned belonged to 
company secretaries. 

'This sort of thing is despicable and cowardly,' said a senior Yamanouchi 
executive who asked not to be named. 'It is an attempt to spread terrorism 
among fairly junior staff, many of them women. We have no idea how these 
home addresses were found. It is quite possible our staff were followed 
home. 

Last week, road signs and hoardings near Yamanouchi's headquarters were 
covered with graffiti accusing company staff of being child and puppy 
killers. Another hoarding was daubed with the question: 'Who's next?' 

Yamanouchi is one of several Japanese pharmaceutical companies based in 
Britain which have been targeted by activists because of their past 
association with Huntingdon Life Sciences. Huntingdon breeds animals for use 
in laboratories and has been designated a special target by activists 
working under the banner of Shac: Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty. 

Some of their protests have led to high-profile City institutions such as 
HSBC and the auditors Deloitte and Touche ending their relationships with 
Huntingdon. But in the past couple of years, a series of High Court 
injunctions has blocked most protests and intimidation. As a result, many 
companies believe, the activists are taking more direct, criminal action. 

Drug company chiefs are pressing the Government to pass stringent laws 
specifically designed to target animal activists. But the Home Office, which 
initially considered supporting such a law, told The Observer last week that 
it now believed many of amendments it had made to existing legislation were 
sufficient to tackle the problem. 
Check http://www.shacamerica.net

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