SHAC prisoner sentencing: national anti-vivisection day of action, 19 January 2009

from email, updated 18 January 2009:

In solidarity with SHAC campaigners in court on this day for sentencing (and all other animal rights prisoners)

On Monday 19th January 2009, 7 SHAC campaigners will be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. The 7 have done nothing more than help to co-ordinate and join peaceful protests aimed at closing down this evil hellhole. They could each potentially be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.

Assuming they do all receive custodial sentences (extremely likely), these convictions will bring the total number of animal rights prisoners in the UK to 17, many of them serving long term sentences.

With more trials in the pipeline in 2009, the total number of prisoners of compassion is likely to soar to an all time high.

The animal rights movement is clearly under attack - more laws, raids, arrests and convictions are likely. NETCU and police forces across the UK are no longer content with going after activists taking part in illegal actions.

Over recent years, they have designed and implemented a range of new laws, all geared towards criminalising activists running legal campaigns and those who peacefully protest.

Please don`t just accept this co-ordinated attack on our freedom to protest - STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK!!!

Gregg, Natasha, Dan A., Heather, Gerrah, Gavin and Dan W. don`t want lots of supporters to attend their sentencing at court. What they want is for YOU to get active out on the streets or in any way you can.

Demo your local lab, customer, supplier or animal breeder. Hand out leaflets outside your local Cancer Research UK or British Heart Foundation charity shop.

Set up a town centre stall to raise awareness, stage a publicity stunt, go door to door leafletting or write letters to the press. (send for leaflets from SHAC, SPEAK, Uncaged, Animal Aid etc)

More and more draconian laws will NEVER stop the animal rights movement. We will NEVER stop fighting for those that can`t speak up for themselves. The SHAC 7 can`t join the demos but YOU can!

GET UP, GET OUT AND GET ACTIVE on Monday 19th January 2009.

http://www.shac.net/
http://www.speakcampaigns.org/
http://sequani.wordpress.com/
http://www.uncaged.co.uk/
http://www.curedisease.net/
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/
http://www.vivisectionfraud.com/
http://netcu.wordpress.com/

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SHAC case’s impact on the environmental movement

from imc-uk, 9 January 2009:

[original article]

The seemingly unrelated animal rights case’s impact on eco activists!

On December 23rd 2008 4 activists were found guilty for conspiracy to blackmail contract testing company Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) that tests food additives, household products, GMOs and medical products on animals. The campaigners were convicted for their part in SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty) who’s stated aim is to close down the company.

After the conviction the media blamed the activists for many different unlawful and intimidating actions taken against Huntingdon and associated companies. Whatever people’s opinion of these actions and the general style and aims of the campaign there is a much wider implication for all campaigners, but specifically the environmental movement.

A recent national media article claimed a lone extremist might be planning an attack aimed at population reduction. It seems to some to indicate that NETCU (National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit) might be turning it’s attention away from animal rights and on to the environmental movement. If this is indeed the situation the impact of this case is well worth taking note of.

The SHAC case seems to imply that the “organisers” of a campaign are fully responsible for everyone that shares their aims. no one is denying direct action was used by some activists against HLS and associated companies and no one is saying the defendants condemned this type of action either.

However what is being said is there is no evidence that the defendants were involved in, or incited, the type of actions listed on television reports and which it seems they have been held liable for. Indeed some were still children when some of the actions took place.

So what is to be understood by this case is that a campaign is fully responsible for the actions of all its supporters. A campaign should ‘baby sit’ activists and speak out against every illegal action they make or be faced with responsibility for the other activist’s actions.

This will be a problem for networks and groups like Earth First and Climate Camp the police need only arrest the group organising the EF! gathering, the people who promote Climate Camp etc. and then hold them responsible for the actions of anyone campaigning on the same issue or using the campaign name, anyone taking action against GMOs or who attacked the power station during Climate Camp.

The police no longer need to find and arrest the person who committed the relevant action but can simply imply that the campaign is responsible especially if the campaign supports direct action or carries reports on such actions on their website.

On Monday 19th January 2009 there has been a call out for a National Anti-Vivisection Day of Action in support of the SHAC activists that are being sentenced on that day.

Because of the direct relevance of this case to environmentalists I ask that regardless of your individual viewpoint on the SHAC campaign or animal testing you do something to support the freedom to campaign. This could be as simple as dedicating an already planned environmental action to the campaigners or holding a small protest.

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!

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