The terror within: a village living in fear of animal rights activists

[T_i_B]

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=553718

Animal rights extremists have developed a sinister new tactic, targeting an entire village that is home to a family of farmers who breed guinea pigs for medical research.

In what is regarded by the Home Office as the most extreme campaign of intimidation known, activists have attacked and threatened the farmers' neighbours, their golf club and staff at the newsagents. They have also threatened to burn down the pub where family members drink.

A string of other businesses - including a fuel supplier, the local vet, hotel and solicitor - have been warned not to deal with the family. Another target was the glazier called in to repair windows after attacks by extremists.

One village resident told the programme: "It is pure and simple terrorism. They come in balaclavas. They come in the middle of the night. They bang, they shout, they throw bricks through your windows, bricks through your doors. You don't want to go to bed at night in case they are going to come. You live from day to day in terror."

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Set up a cop ninja undercover watch, arrest them, throw the book

The cops should set up an undercover ninja watch, catch them in the act, and then throw the book at the terrorists.

[Democat]

2. Is this real or anti-animal rights propaganda?

Sounds over the top and some of it sounds made up?

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Listen to the report (half an hour) here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/rams/facethefacts.ram

The animal rights activists are pretty unapologetic. They think the have the right to intimidate anyone who deals with the farmers. Note that the farmers are not doing anything illegal.

Which bits sound made up to you?

[ibegurpard]

4. this is weird

Why would these people allow themselves to be terrorized like this? If someone was throwing bricks through my window, they'd find their teeth making contact with a baseball bat.
I find this a little difficult to believe.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Be Practical

You'd have to be awake at the time.
You'd have to be near the door, with the bat
You'd have to run faster than they do.
You'd have to see them even though they dress like ninjas.

You'd have to give up farming during the daytime so you could sleep to be awake to catch them in the act.
You'd have to persuade your neighbors to do the same, or else they will just continue to attack your neighbors.

This is a job for the police.

[Surf Cowboy]

23. Nah, you brew a strong pot of coffee,

Add a little (or a lot) of Irish whiskey, and you can stay both up all night and mad. I'd recommend the 12-gauge with rock salt instead of the bat, though--no reason to run when the salt can run for you.

[DBoon]

29. To criminals, victimizing you is their full time job

You, on the other hand, have to earn a living and can't spend all your waking moments defending yourself

[Vladimir]

18. This is Britain remember

the self defense and especially defense of property laws are different there. If they did respond with force, there is a high chance they could be sued by the activists. This is, as other posters have said, a job for the police.

[Surf Cowboy]

22. Right On!!

If anyone ever threw a brick through my window, they had better be wearing Kevlar underwear, because me and my 3" 12-gauge are going to be burping a lot of rock salt in their general direction.

Their new nickname at their animal-rights meeting would be "'ol Welty"

[AngryAmish]

26. In UK, no right to defend property with physical force

Must call the police. In the boonies, it takes forever for the police to get there. The rights Americans take for granted not all present there.

[truthisfreedom]

6. sounds like something created by the CIA to modifiy our views of animal

rights activists.

then again, these people have done some very strangely self-destructive things in the past.

[lostnfound]

14. Definitely possible. And very effective.

Agent provaceteurs or agents.

Reading out-loud some anonymous emails..who posted the emails? There's no way to know if those are really voices of activists. Who knows?

I was amazed when listening that the reporter would try to say that because the website printed stories about these acts it was encouraging them...and here he is, a BBC reporter, telling stories about these acts. The girl being interviewed pointed out that it was no different than a newspaper printing stories about it..and the reporter said 'yeah, but your website has been closed down by the police because they found it so offensive, and that's the difference isn't it?' as if that was condemnation of the website.

So then they find one naiive, extremist voice to augment the story with his rhetoric.

I do not believe these actions are home-grown to the movement.

It's great timing. Animal rights people are being threatened, interrogated, and bribed into becoming informers in the US right now.

[WoodrowFan]

44. that's amazing

you all sound like Bushies who think every bad news item is part of a left wing plot or who refuse to believe that "a good christian" would lie. EVERY movement with true believers is open to this sort of abuse. wake up, the left does wrong too sometimes people. Do you really think the CIA wouldn' have better thing to do that care about some animal rights activists in the UK for cripes sake?

[T_i_B]

45. Yes

I agree there seems to be a wee bit of denial on this thread. Groups such as the Animal Liberation Front do have something of a track record of militancy I am afraid.

[davhill]

7. Terrible things are done by the self-righteous

Abortion opponents murder doctors, religious people slaughter innocent people or bomb cities in the name of God. The left is not immune from this principle. If you are blindly convinced only you are in the right, anything can be justified.

[Nay]

8. Where the hell are the cops?

[Vladimir]

17. 500,000 has been spent on police protection

over the last 4 years according to the article...

[BeFree]

9. Two sides:

There's the farmers, and the activists.

Who do ya think the guineas are pulling for?

Me? I'm for whoever the guineas are for....

[FlaGranny]

10. One side only

terrorism is not justified against innocent people - EVER.

[BeFree]

12. Yes, you are right

Terrorism is never justified.

Tell that to the guineas. Oh wait, they're just pigs. No reason for concern. Though, they are also mammals, eh?

I wonder if they feel pain, like us?

[Vladimir]

21. I wonder if the patients

receiving medications made possible by testing on animals feel pain?

[DBoon]

30. How many animal rights activists are/will be diabetic?

They will owe their lives to Banting and Best's experiments on animals (dogs), resulting in the discovery of insulin and the first treatment for diabetes

[FlaGranny]

27. Terrorism, by its very nature, targets INNOCENT

people. Do you think that throwing a brick through a farmer's next door neighbor's window is justified? Terrorizing a town is justified to punish ONE of the town's residents?

You probably have a neighbor who is a child molester. I think I need to come throw a brick through YOUR window. That makes about as much sense - as it would also be an act of terrorism, i.e., punishing the innocent for something they have nothing to do with.

[BeFree]

32. Ya wanna throw a brick at me?!

Your'e right, that makes no sense. But why do you think about such things?

"I think I need to come throw a brick through YOUR window"

All that was asked was: "Who's side would ya be on?" Geez...

Terrorism, I don't think, is an answer. Although, many wars have been won using terrorism as a main weapon.

But, we're past all that, right?

[shadu]

31. Those points are worth considering

New Zealand tried to pass a universal ban against
the TORTURE of primates last year. It did not pass.
99% of animal abuse that occurs
in the name of science should be halted.
Hold a cat in your lap sometime, and as that cat
purrs, look into his eyes and think about why you feel
your soul is superior to that of the cat.

[telamachus]

42. Torture?

I am surprised that an anti-torture law would not be passed. I always thought New Zealand was a nice place. I never knew that they were into animal torture. So you are all for allowing one percent of the animal torture going on? So you DO support animal torture!!

[Skip Intro]

34. Their pain is irrelevant

They're just dumb animals, don't you know?

</sarcasm>

Its almost like there's a good portion of the human population that takes joy in the suffering of animals. You know, those who, even here, just foam at the mouth at the mere mention of PETA.

Baffles me more than almost anything.

[Vladimir]

39. Not a single doctor or biochemist I know

takes any pleasure at animal experimentation. This is indeed why the entire industry is using less and less animal experimentation - where it is unnecessary, it has been replaced by other techniques. But when it comes down to hurting a number of animals or letting human beings suffer and die, I am amazed that people see a choice.

[pop goes the weasel]

11. neither

Guinea pigs pull for guinea pigs. Well, actually, they pull for themselves as individuals. I am not aware of any heroic, self-sacrificing guineas, but then, I'm not on top of the cute animal stories in the tabloids.

If there was a guinea pig capable of understanding what the hell all the brick-throwing was about, it just might decide to throw in with the farmers. Last animal-rights liberationist I spoke with in depth told me that it was better for a species to go extinct than to be raised in captivity. A rather Bushwa attitude toward liberation, don't you think? If I were a guinea pig, I might prefer captivity to the tender mercies of such a liberator.

[BeFree]

13. That's funny. n/t

[wackywill]

16. Did they take the farmers out and use them

in medical experiments?

Think about it.

What gives you the right?

http://www.animalliberationfront.com/

[BeFree]

19. There is a theory

A theory which claims we humans are but guines pigs on this planet.

If ya can wrap yer head around that for a moment, and place yourself in the guineas' position, one could see that being on the guineas' side would be the right side.

[WoodrowFan]

43. oh goodie the ALF

our own home grown terror group named after a lame 1980s puppet show./

[Jon8503]

15. Animal Rights Activists

This post seems to have got started off wrong, just like the stuff against Kerry and his heroism in Viet Nam.

First, there is absolutely no justification for terrorizing individuals or in this case farmers. We all know there are smarter and better ways to get your point across.

Second, I would like to see more proof that this actually occurred, I know there is some sort of attacks against the animal rights activists going on in the UK just as they are trying to prevent the demonstrations from taking place at the Repubs convention in NY.

Remember, one tactic for the right is to spread lies.

[Vladimir]

20. Once again, animal rights

activists manage to equate their cause with anti-humanism. What always makes me wonder is, if they really care so much and are willing to break the law and risk jail, why do it for the guinea pigs? Why not do it for a cause where, you know, human beings are at stake?

[Surf Cowboy]

24. Because that would be meaningful.

[DiverDave]

28. RIGHT ON!

Lets help the suffering of HUMANS, then lets do for the rest.
What the fuck is wrong with these peta idiots, anyway?
People are dying all over from preventable causes, and they think the guinea pigs need help...puleeze:eyes:

[BeFree]

36. In nature, everything is connected.

"What you shall do to the least amongst you, so shall you do to yourself"

Just made that on up, but it does work, eh?...As in you reap what you sow.

The question is about how we use other life forms as tools to expand our lives. It's about how do we treat the other beings on this planet in a way that doesn't create problems for the those other life forms.

Are we humans losing respect for the pyramid of life which sustains our natural lives?

[Vladimir]

37. If animal experimentation

was threateneing the eco-balance of earth you'd have a point - but it of course doesn't. Now if you wanted to talk about the rainforests or pollution I'd be all ears, because you are quite right that a balanced eco-system is needed for our survival too. But testing on guninea pigs, or monkeys, or rats, is not going to affect that - and it will save lives.

[DiverDave]

40. Give me a break

a snail darter is more important than a starving child??
So, we let the child starve, since you are "too busy protecting the fish".
Pretty pathetic.

[Surf Cowboy]

25. It really just sounds like someone (or group) needs to

get the Sheee-it kicked out of them. These people are receiving NO consequences for their actions. They deserve sound ass-whuppings, and you would expect some gritty guys like farmers would be more than a little happy to help.

[Skip Intro]

33. Sounds like bullshit to me

Evil animal rights extremists terrorizing a village. Cops no where to be seen. The "Home Office" is looking into toughening lesgislation to deal with these extrmemists.

I mean, do you have to pass new lesgislation to arrest someone for vadalizing personal property? Can they not pursue those who make threatening phone calls "24 hours a day?" This story just doesn't make sense.

Sounds like anti-animal rights propaganda to me.

[BeFree]

35. Yes, an original thought! Thank you, nu_duer

Much better than the knee-jerk, war-like responses some here have burdened us with.

"Blow 'em away!.... Shoot 'em up!..." They say, without anymore than a simple report on which to base their war-like claims.

Glad to see someone has thought it through a bit more.

[T_i_B]

41. The police are trying

From the article

Police protection has cost £500,000.

That's half a million pounds. The police are trying their hardest. And I would reccomend that you read muriel_volestrangler's links. This ain't fiction. There are some really nasty militants out there who claim to be pro-animal rights.

Of course all that the likes of the hunt saboteurs do really is to drive more people into the arms of the Countryside Alliance et al.

[DU GrovelBot]

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