Highlights
– World Lab Animal Liberation Week held from April 19, 2008 through April 27, 2008
– Demonstrations took place in US and several European countries
– Several violent direct actions carried out by militant activists in solidarity with the campaign
Activists from numerous animal rights organizations participated in World Lab Animal Liberation Week, held from April 19, 2008 to April 27, 2008, in protests and other events in countries around the world. The weeklong campaign was designed to concentrate on community outreach and educating the general populace about the “horrors of animal testing laboratories.” According to statements released by animal rights groups, the primary targets of the campaign were Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), a long-time target of the movement, and the company’s customers and suppliers, with a particular focus on Novartis and Staples.
While events announced prior to the start of World Lab Animal Liberation Week were intended to be peaceful protests, several violent activities by isolated groups of militant activists took place during the week in solidarity with the campaign. We continue to believe that while it is unlikely that a majority of activists in the animal rights movement will employ violent tactics or damage property, lone individuals or small activist cells undertaking such action remains a cause for concern.
Non-Violent Protests Held in France and Ireland
Members of several different activist groups, including Coalition Anti-Vivisection and Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), held non-violent protests in France throughout the week. Specifically, demonstrations were held in Paris against Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis, and Bristol Myers Squibb. Activists from the National Animal Rights Association in Ireland also held protests against AstraZeneca in Dublin.
While the events were attended by only a small number of protestors, activists have warned that they will hold additional demonstrations against these companies and affiliated targets in the near to mid-term.
Protests in the United States
Protests took place in several cities throughout the US, including small towns in North Carolina. However, the majority of events took place in New York City, where Win Animal Rights (WAR) is based. The group staged numerous demonstrations throughout the week, at company offices as well as at the homes of top company executives. WAR protests, which were small in scale, targeted various companies, including Staples, Novartis, and GlaxoSmithKline.
National March and Rally in the United Kingdom
A National March and Rally organized by SHAC was held in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2008 in Horsham, the location of Novartis’ headquarters in the country. According to reports, approximately 400 activists attended the event, which consisted of several speeches by animal rights campaigners, a march through Horsham, and a demonstration at Novartis. According to statements released by SHAC following the event, the group has warned that the rally was the “start of a new stage against our fight against Novartis and HLS, with many campaigners vowing to re-double their efforts.”
Militant Activity
While the majority of events held for World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week were peaceful in nature, activists claimed several violent acts coinciding with the campaign.
Activists from the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) in the US claimed responsibility for placing an incendiary device under a Staples delivery truck in California. In a communiqué, those involved issued a warning to Staples, stating, “do you, as a company with stores and warehouses filled with paper, want to take a stand against those of us who are notorious for bringing fire?”
Separately, in the United Kingdom, ALF members stated that they vandalized the homes and vehicles of four individuals from Novartis, and posted their home addresses online for use by other activists in the future. The militant activists claimed that the actions were carried out in solidarity with World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week and warned, “You never see us, and you can’t stop us.”
Outlook
We continue to believe that only a small number of activists from the animal rights movement will resort to more militant activity, such as the use of arson and vandalism. However, these lone individuals or small activist cells remain a cause for concern, as seen with the violent activities during the recent campaign.
The majority of future events staged by animal rights activists will likely be non-violent small-scale protests against various fur, financial, and pharmaceutical industry targets. Despite the conclusion of the World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week, it is likely that additional demonstrations by groups will take place in the near to mid-term, in both the US and Europe.
