UK Indymedia

SchNEWS 745: Serious Organised Crime

28-10-2010 22:49

The six defendants in the second SHAC trial were hammered with vicious sentences this week. The harshest sentence was the six years handed down to 53 year old Sarah Whitehead. Sentences for the other defendants Tom Harris. Nicole Vosper, Jason Mullan, Nicola Tapping and Alfie Fitzpatrick ranged from a two year suspended sentence for the youngest, Alfie, to three and a half years for Nicole Vosper. All the defendants also copped lengthy ASBOs, which will prevent them from any further participation in animal rights activism.

On the Newswire:

In SchNEWS: 581 | 586 | 616 | 630 | 652 | 660 | 663 | 666 | 667 | 688 | 738

Links: www.shac.net | www.schac7.com |

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Anti-vivisectionists march against Novartis after court victory

04-11-2009 08:26

As part of the SHAC campaign 70 people turned out for a demonstration and march against Novartis' headquarters (an animal research centre and top HLS target) in Horsham on Saturday 31st October.

Up until 2pm the day before Sussex Action For Animals (SAFA) were not even sure that the demonstration would be able to take place. Earlier in the month Novartis had attempted to get an interim injunction using the notoriously repressive solicitor Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden, known for numerous HLS injunctions and failing to seize a protestor's assets amongst other civil liberties issues.

Novartis were seeking to prevent banners on the demonstration from bearing the words "Novartis", or carry posters showing images of animal suffering. They didn't want protesters to be able to wear masks or costumes; in particular blood stained lab coats. They did also mention something about fireworks! However, despite the best efforts to dredge up any dirt they could to support their application, the judge found in favour of the campaigners.

Recent features: March against Novartis on Saturday | Newcastle March & Demo Against Sanofi-Aventis | Direct Action Withdraws HLS Loan Facilities | Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares As Buyout Approaches | Operation Liberation Demo at Highgate Rabbit Farm | Novartis CEO's hunting lodge destroyed | Highgate Farm Protest Camp | Largest Shareholder Barclays and Top Investors Dump HLS | More features

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Newcastle March & Demo Against Sanofi-Aventis

13-10-2009 22:26

Update: Newcastle Animal Rights raided by police

Newcastle Animal Rights Group in support with Vegi North East, SHAC Birmingham, SHAC Leeds, Hull Animal Rights along with numerous other animal rights groups and residents of Newcastle marched against vivisection on Octoboer 9th in the city centre of Newcastle before proceeding to demonstrate against top HLS customer Sanofi Aventis.

Activists met at Newcastle Civic Centre for 12 pm and then set off at 12.45pm armed with banners and placards, megaphones and loud voices making a visual and noisy march on Northumberland Street, gaining a lot of public support and cheers. The image was clear, the message was clear, NO TO ANIMAL CRUELTY, NO TO HLS!

Newswire: Report | Arrests | Photos | Video

Links: Newcastle Animal Rights | SHAC | SHAC topic page

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Direct Action Withdraws HLS Loan Facilities

07-10-2009 20:34

Update: SHAC receive inside information proving the statement from Fortress to be a lie, so the campaign is relaunched against them.

In August this year, Anchor Sub Funding were exposed as the front company set up by BDO Luxembourg in 2006, that loaned $30 million to Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory, Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). In response, activists protested at offices in Birmingham, Cambridge, Berkshire, Bristol, Manchester, Dublin (Ireland), Gothenburg (Sweden) and a directors home in New York City (USA). The Animal Rights Militia (ARM) also visited the adresses of BDO directors in Luxembourg, leaving incendiary devices underneath an expensive car at one home and painting the other with death threats, before setting fire to the garden. The day after the ARM action was reported Anchor Sub Funding subsequently dissolved and cut its ties with HLS, withdrawing also from any future loans.

As a result, on September 25th, Fortress Investment Group were revealed as the company who payed BDO to set up the shell company. Within a week and at their first demo, Fortress stated they fully divested from HLS, a claim later authenticated by Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). The news comes at a cruical time as HLS CEO Andrew Baker attempts to complete a buyout of the company, now without Fortress' additional loan required to complete the deal.

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Operation Liberation Demo at Highgate Rabbit Farm

30-09-2009 18:24

On Saturday 26th September, 350 people demonstrated outside Highgate Rabbit Farm in Lincolnshire, a supplier of rabbits and ferrets to the vivisection industry, including Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), Europe's largest and most exposed lab. The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) protest titled 'Operation Liberation' was part of the campaign to close down the farm and hailed as a success, bringing the attention of local people to the farms immoral practices.

Several short speeches were made by campaigners as protesters stood 750 metres from the farm which lies in Normanby-on-Spital. They were not allowed to stand any closer to the farm as police had placed a Section 14 Notice on the premises which forbids members of the public from passing the 750 metre perimeter. As demonstrators arrived police used a 12 by 6 foot banner to announce the implementation of the legislation.

Previous features: Operation Liberation: Highgate Rabbit Farm | Highgate Farm Protest Camp

Indymedia SHAC topic pages: UK | Northern

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Operation Liberation: Highgate Rabbit Farm

26-09-2009 08:30

OPERATION LIBERATION REPORTING:

IMC Northern England will be providing coverage of the SHAC UK national Demonstration at Highgate Rabbit Farm, Lincolnshire on Saturday 26th September.

Those at the demo can phone in their news of the days events to:

07513783376

Alternatively, you can publish pictures/video/text direct from your phone to the Northern Indymedia "Tumblewire" from an internet enabled phone to mob.northern-indymedia.org

During the midnight hours of 6th January 2008, Animal Liberation Front (ALF) volunteers gained entry to Highgate Rabbit Farm, in Lincolnshire, who imprison animals waiting to suffer and die in the miserable vivisection industry (Pictures | Video). 129 rabbits were liberated with £70,000 worth of damage caused to the farm and its vehicles.

Following the raid, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) reported the farm subsequently stopped supplying rabbits for animal testing, in a plan to close down the business. However, after instruction from the police, the farm reluctantly resumed supplying rabbits to laboratories, one of which is Europe's biggest and most exposed lab Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS).

Therefore as part of a global week of action against vivisection breeders, SHAC have called a UK national demonstration for Saturday 26th September, directly outside the farm, in an attempt to save the rest of the animals and close down the lab supplier. Just days later ALF activists claimed they painted slogans against those who own and run the farm, such as 'Douglas Family Bunny Butchers' and 'Douglas Animal Abusers' in the Market Rasen area.

Links: About Highgate | Demo/Transport Details | Resources | Action

See also: Highgate Farm Protest Camp

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Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares As Buyout Approaches

18-08-2009 12:48

On August 1st, Win Animal Rights (W.A.R.) launched a campaign to influence the top Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) Investor, Morgan Stanley, (who recently bought LSR stock) to divest their large holding of LSR shares. With 679,225 shares, Morgan Stanley was a 5% owner of Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory, swiftly selling all their LSR stock within a week of the campaign against them.

Protests included W.A.R. visiting the homes of 5 senior executives, as well as the two co-presidents of the firm, and five days later demonstrating at the headquarters of Morgan Stanley in New York City. This was followed by visits to the homes of multiple senior executives of the company.

The divestiture comes as LSR/HLS CEO, Andrew Baker, moves forward with his plans to acquire HLS and make it a privately held company, therefore delisting themselves from the NYSE (a major target in the campaign to close HLS). The proxy statement makes it abundantly clear that activists have had a tremendous impact on LSR/HLS' financial predicament, causing them to have limited options for the future.

Previous features: Novartis CEO's hunting lodge destroyed | Highgate Farm Protest Camp | Operation Liberation: Highgate Rabbit Farm | Largest Shareholder Barclays and Top Investors Dump HLS | World Day for Animals in Laboratories March | SHAC supporter unlawfully arrested at Barclays Bank | SHAC Shakedown City Investors | Top HLS Investors Dump Shares | HLS Exposed - Yet Again! SHAC To Shakedown Financial Investors In The City | 50 Years For The UK SHAC 7 | Anti-vivisection campaigners convicted of blackmail | Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares | SHAC Prepares For National March & Rally | Victory for animal rights campaigners | Activist Imprisoned for Shouting | Fisher Scientific Embarrassed Over Links with HLS | SHAC World Day for Lab Animals | Asahi Glass Protesters Harassed by Police | "March Against the Murderers"

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Novartis CEO's hunting lodge destroyed

07-08-2009 10:27

"Dealing with HLS means dealing with US." - MFAH Austria

In an act of direct action against top Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) customer Novartis, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Vasella had his hunting lodge in the town of Bach, in Tyrol, Austria, destroyed by fire (see photos). The Militant Forces Against HLS (MFAH) claimed responsibility for the arson in an anonymous communique, calling on Vasella to sever all ties with HLS. The activists reported that Vasella butchers animals at HLS, Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory, through contracts made with Novartis, as well as butchering animals in his own private hunting estate. A spokesperson for Novartis said he has now decided to sell the property that was burnt with 60 litres of petrol.

The MFAH formed in April this year and have targeted HLS customers in France, Germany, Belgium and now Austria. They are relatively unknown and adhere to no guidelines, although are affiliated with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). In recent months the militant group have reportedly targeted Novartis in France, burning down a sports centre and in Germany, vandalising the Vice Chairman's cars and home, returning a month later to place incendiary devices under his two cars. They have also targeted HLS customers Sandoz, Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer, Schering Plough and Pfizer.

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Highgate Farm Protest Camp

01-08-2009 00:47

On Monday 27th July, activists occupied land near the entrance of Highgate Rabbit Farm, in Lincolnshire, in protest against their breeding of rabbits and ferrets for the vivisection industry. Highgate Farm supply several university and commercial laboratories, including Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). In conjunction with Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) the campers are holding a peaceful protest, calling on the closure of the farm, and for the farmer to hand the animals over to a suitable organisation for rehoming.

The protest has recieved positive coverage on the front page of the local newspaper and support from locals who put up Highgate Farm posters in local villages for the upcoming national demonstration. This caused a Stafford police officer to express concerns that it may be the beginning of "the new Newchurch", begging campers not to visit the now guarded farm during the night. In reponse, Ian Caswell from South Yorkshire FIT team made an appearance, the council threatened an eviction (that was subsequently retracted), and a police helicopter hovered over the camp.

During Wednesday night, a shot rabbit with a rope tied around their neck was then thrown at the camp from the direction of the farm, which is now under investigation by CID. Protesters have therefore called for more people to come and support the camp after extending it past Friday.

Links: Background info about the Highgate campaign | SHAC topic page

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Operation Liberation: Highgate Rabbit Farm

27-07-2009 20:27

Update: Protest camp set up near the entrance of Highgate Rabbit Farm (see timelines for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday).

During the midnight hours of 6th January 2008, Animal Liberation Front (ALF) volunteers gained entry to Highgate Rabbit Farm, in Lincolnshire, who imprison animals waiting to suffer and die in the miserable vivisection industry (Pictures | Video). 129 rabbits were liberated with £70,000 worth of damage caused to the farm and its vehicles.

Following the raid, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) reported the farm subsequently stopped supplying rabbits for animal testing, in a plan to close down the business. However, after instruction from the police, the farm reluctantly resumed supplying rabbits to laboratories, one of which is Europe's biggest and most exposed lab Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS).

Therefore as part of a global week of action against vivisection breeders, SHAC have called a UK national demonstration for Saturday 26th September, directly outside the farm, in an attempt to save the rest of the animals and close down the lab supplier.

Links: About Highgate | Demo Details | Resources | Action

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Largest Shareholder Barclays and Top Investors Dump HLS

17-05-2009 23:12

This week it was announced Barclays and four other large investors dropped all shares in Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory. LSR stock owned by institutional shareholders has now fallen to 12%, placing HLS $4 million below the NYSE minimum listing standard for market value (the only stock exchange listing the company, a major target in the campaign to close HLS).

Following a legal challenge against the CEO's proposal to purchase all of the outstanding LSR stock, an intense global campaign and recent repression against SHAC in Birmingham, a total of 797,284 shares have now been sold. Barclays Global Investors, Barclays Plc, Hartford Investment Management Company, Rice Hall James and Associates LLC, Bank of New York Mellon and Wells Fargo sold all their shares, of which over 400,000 were held by previously largest shareholder Barclays.

Barclays campaign: Global (Videos) | London | Direct action | SHAC topic page

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World Day for Animals in Laboratories March

26-04-2009 20:22

www.wdail.org On Saturday 25th April, over two thousand anti-vivisectionists marched through London to mark World Day for Animals in Laboratories as part of a Week of Action. The day is an internationally recognised, UN sanctioned event for reflection and remembrance of the countless millions of animals that suffer and die in vivisection laboratories around the world each year in the name of science.

The march was organised to call for an end to vivisection both in the UK and elsewhere, in response to Labour's abandoned pre-election promise for an official inquiry into animal experimentation. It has been over 15 years since the anti-vivisection movement marched in London to mark World Day, successfully uniting, mobilising and attracting new activists to the movement. Campaigners in attendance included Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), SPEAK Campaigns, Stop Wickham Animal Testing (SWAT), prisoner support groups, as well as Animal Liberation Front (ALF) supporters and green anarchists.

Pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Videos: 1 | 2 | Speeches: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Highlights

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SHAC supporter unlawfully arrested at Barclays Bank

22-04-2009 20:54

During a regular demo outside Barclays (due to their support for Huntingdon Life Sciences) a group of teenagers came to find out what the demo was about. The police were called, they arrested one teenager (Video) for alleged criminal damage (kicking the door of Barclays) which activists claim he didn't do, then refused to take details of bystanders who were witnesses to the non-crime. See update on arrested person and the SHAC topic page for information on the ongoing campaign.

Update: Another arrest at Barclays

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SHAC Shakedown City Investors

01-03-2009 22:25

On Friday 27th February around 300 campaigners from around the country, and from around the world, traveled for a loud and vibrant march and demonstration in the capital against the financial supporters of Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), the largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory in Europe.

With HLS’ share price now the lowest in four years, the unjust incarceration of SHAC campaigners and the latest footage of monkeys being abused inside HLS’ labs, angry, passionate and determined campaigners gathered at the Bank of England – the only bank in the world providing HLS with banking facilities. The day of action aimed to publicly show financial investors that anti-vivisectionists will not tolerate puppies being thrown around, monkeys being cut open alive and other innocent animals suffering in silence. The protest was part of a global week of action organised by Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), with actions so far reported in London (1 | 2 | 3), Somerset, Cambridge, Netherlands, Italy, Chile, Sweden, Poland, (1 | 2) France and Russia (Videos: 1 | 2).

First stop was HLS’ largest shareholder Barclays, which saw an impromptu banner drop from the bridge directly above the bank. Activists then moved onto more HLS and NYSE Euronext shareholders (1 | 2), the only stock exchange in the world listing the company after dropping them in 2000 and postponing their listing in 2005. Huntingdon are currently $83 million dollars in debt, without a commercial bank or insurance company in the world prepared to deal with them.

Photos: 1 | 2 | Video

Indymedia SHAC topic pages: UK | London

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Top HLS Investors Dump Shares

25-02-2009 22:11

Just days before the SHAC global week of action kicked off and two weeks after Huntingdon Life Sciences' vivisection laboratories were exposed for the seventh time in ten years, revealing shocking undercover footage, HLS shareholders have sold 15% of the company (ticker symbol LSR). As a result the percentage of LSR stock held by institutions fell further from 20.1% to 17.7%, leaving them below the minimum listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, a major target in the campaign to close down HLS.

Wells Fargo, who were one of LSR's top five institutional investors has sold all their 147,511 shares and the Bank of New York Mellon, previously third largest investor, sold most of their LSR stock dumping 149,157 shares. BNY Mellon now only have 26,634 remaining of the original 175,791 shares, with Turner Investment Partners Inc also selling their 56,880 stock.

The announcement was made the day before Animal Liberation Front (ALF) activists reported they had slashed car tryes at the home of BNY's Business Analyst in Hampshire, whilst other covert cells targeted HLS associates in solidarity with political prisoners, including the UK SHAC 7. Protests also took place at BNY and Wells Fargo's offices and executive's homes, as part of a three-month campaign based primarily in London [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ] (England) and New York City (USA) [ 1 | 2 ].

HLS have been suffering from a serious lack of investment since December 2007, with over a dozen corporations selling all their shares in LSR. Their share price as of February 25th is $5.78, the lowest since their high of nearly $40 in September 2008. With an unstable share price, activists continue to increase the pressure against HLS shareholders, particularly largest investor Barclays.

Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | More: 1 | 2 | 3

SHAC 7 Letters from Prison: 1 | 2 | 3 | More

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HLS Exposed - Yet Again! SHAC To Shakedown Financial Investors In The City

10-02-2009 16:07

For the seventh time in ten years Huntingdon Life Sciences have been infiltrated and exposed, revealing shocking cruelty and footage of animal experiments filmed inside HLS during 2007 and 2008. The investigation exposes the primate trade across three continents, including individuals captured in the wild and shipped over, enduring 30 hour journeys in small cages from as far as Vietnam.

An undercover worker inside a primate unit at HLS in Cambridgeshire filmed struggling monkeys strapped to chairs and forced to inhale products. Many were housed in one cubic metre cages and then taken out to be held down by workers as tubes are forced down their throats. 217 monkeys were killed in just five studies for customers including AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithkline and the Ministry of Defence. The company are a contract testing laboratory, testing any products, on any non-human animals, for any company; pharmaceuctical, household, beauty or otherwise.

In response to the horrific footage, the imprisonment of seven SHAC campaigners for 'conspiring to blackmail' the notorious vivisection laboratory and the business' falling share price, anti-vivisectionists will be taking to the streets of London on Friday 27th February during a global week of action against HLS' financials. The SHAC City Shakedown march and protest will be for the 70,000 animals imprisoned and abused inside the labs, targeting the financial institutions who profit from and delay the companies collapse.

As the value of Europe's largest and most exposed animal testing laboratory drops by over 80% in recent months, the New York Stock Exchange now have an extra reason to again kick the abusers off the exchange. Other reasons include the labs financial problems, serious debt, animal abuse, data falsification and scientific fraud.

Demo Resources: SHAC City Shakedown Webpage | Why HLS? | The Protest | Download resources

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50 Years For The UK SHAC 7

22-01-2009 09:50

On Wednesday 21st January, seven activists from the campaign Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) were sentenced to a total of fifty years in prison, after they were found guilty in December 2008 of 'conspiracy to blackmail' Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). Heather Nicholson was jailed for 11 years, Gregg and Natasha Avery sentenced to nine years each, Gavin Medd-Hall an eight-year prison sentence, Daniel Wadham jailed for five years, Dan Amos and another were both sentenced to four years in prison.

"They conspired to do A B and C ... with Persons or Persons Unknown." - Who were persons unknown? It really didn't matter, as the above conspiracy law linked the individuals even though they had never met them or talked to them. However, this was all ignored as the media falsely charged the activists with hypocrisy, extremism and terrorism, instead of acknowledging their own hypocritical standpoint, best portrayed by the Telegraph, with NETCU helping to further the hysteria following the activists guilty verdicts.

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Anti-vivisection campaigners convicted of blackmail

29-12-2008 00:13

On December 23rd, 4 out of 5 activists on trial at Winchester Crown Court were found guilty of 'conspiracy to blackmail' Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) after a 3 and a half month long trial. The world's media, prompted by police press officers, were quick to condemn Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), providing examples of harassment against the employees of HLS, their customers, suppliers and investors.

Direct action against the company, not linked to those convicted, such as arson attacks, hoax bombs, letters alleging paedophilia, and threats were pointed to as evidence of the defendants' extremism. Police spokesmen and the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU), the branch of the police set up to dismantle the animal rights movement and other expressions of the public's dissent, hailed the convictions as a victory. What was not examined in the media was the worrying development of the repressive use of the law which lead to the conviction of the four defendants.

The trial is the second large animal rights conspiracy trial this year following the imprisonment of Sean Kirtley, an activist involved with Stop Sequani Animal Torture (SSAT). Sean was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for updating a website with news about a legal, nonviolent campaign to close down Sequani laboratories in Ledbury. Despite the Sequani and SHAC investigations leading to convictions, both campaigns against the vivisection labs are continuing undeterred.

Newswire: Strategic Importance of HLS in the broader anticapitalist fight | SHAC Do Christmas & Solidarity Demos | Corporate Watch on SHAC Trial - State Repression of Anti-Corporate Dissent | Campaigning against cruelty is now punishable by up to 14 years in prison! | SHAC campaign against HLS continues despite the convictions says the Guardian | SHAC v HLS

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Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares

20-07-2008 13:32

Anti-HLS campaigners this week have gained another major victory in closing down Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory Huntingdon Life Sciences, known also as Life Sciences Research, ticker symbol LSR.

The labs largest investor, Eagle Asset Finance, has sold all HLS shares worth £7,074,059, more than 4% of the company. Raymond James Financial, their parent company, made the announcement within a month of a full-scale campaign in the UK and USA including email alerts, office and home demonstrations against both companies.

Since December 2007 HLS has suffered from a serious lack of investment, with companies last year eventually selling all their shares. Shareholders included; TransAmerica Investment, Frontier Capital, SAC Capital, Axa, Wachovia, Alternative Investment Partners, Rathbone Brothers, Dresdner Bank, Deutsche Bank, La Grange Capital, Robeco Investment Management, Fairfield Greenwich Associates & BNP Paribas [1 | 2 | 3].

Links: SHAC | Win Animal Rights | Close HLS | Indymedia UK SHAC topic page

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SHAC Prepares For National March & Rally

11-07-2008 09:30

On the 12th July, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) hold national march and rally [Report | Pics] to show the mass opposition to the fraudulent vivisection industry and the vile 'experiments' at Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). SHAC is an international campaign aiming to close HLS, the largest contract testing laboratory in Europe.

The rally in the park included info stalls and food/drink from Veggies before campaigners marched through Peterborough. The demonstration ended in Alconbury, so to meet the animal abusers who kill 500 animals every day of the week to test products such as weed killer, food colourings and drugs.

Details: Webpage for the rally, march and demo - Info and times | Rally in the park - Map and meeting point

Reports from last demo in April: Pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Video: 1 | 2

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Victory for animal rights campaigners

22-08-2005 23:00

The owners of Darley Oaks Farm, also known as 'Newchurch Guinea Pig Farm', have announced in a statement that they will shut down its guinea pig breeding operations by the end of the year. The farm in Staffordshire, near Burton upon Trent has been breeding guinea pigs for animal experiments since 1999. Campaign groups like 'Save Newchurch Guinea Pigs' have been taking action against the company for years, trying to get them 'shut down'. In March, protesters received an injunction meaning they were not allowed to enter a designated area surrounding the farm.

Links: Save Newchurch Guinea Pigs (SNGP) | Announcement Nationwide Demonstration 3rd September | Demonstration to go ahead as planned | animal rights activists banned from entering the UK to speak on rally on 3rd Sep

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Activist Imprisoned for Shouting

10-10-2004 13:39

On Friday 1st October Andrew Davies received an unexpected 28 day custodial sentence and also an indefinite Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) after a trial at Burton-upon-Trent magistrates. Andy was arrested under Section 4a Public Order Act ("intentionally causing harrasment, alarm or distress") for standing and shouting outside a worker's house of Newchurch Guinea Pig farm, where thousands of guinea pigs are bred for the vivisection industry.

Shocked as he was he at the severity of the sentence (essentially for having an argument with Newchurch Farm worker on the validity of animal experimentation) he is in good spirits and awaits your letters.

New Prisoner Andrew Davies- solidarity now! | Vegan prisoner support group | Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs

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Fisher Scientific Embarrassed Over Links with HLS

03-06-2004 01:04

"Not many people stopped at the stall whilst we were there."

A group of activists found out that a supplier of Huntington Life Sciences, Fisher Scientific, were to be holding a exhibition/stall in the Foyer of the Environmental Science Building at Lancaster University so went to give them some company.

Fisher Scientific supplies lab equipment to Huntington Life Sciences in Cambridgeshire. It has been requested that the company sever its links with HLS but they have so far refused. A group of people took some leaflets and a banner and set up next to their stall, much to the dismay of the staff at the stall.

Full story | HLS Injunction to go to Full Trial | SHAC World Day for Lab Animals | Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty

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SHAC World Day for Lab Animals

19-04-2004 02:13

More than 1,000 people gathered on Saturday in Cambridge for the World Day for Lab Animals. The demonstrators gathered on Parker’s Piece before marching through Cambridge town centre.

The march was organised by the Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) campaign, formed to force the closure of Huntingdon Life Sciences.

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Asahi Glass Protesters Harassed by Police

01-01-2004 00:00

Thornton, Lancaster, 22.11.2003. An Asahi Glass, demonstration that had been arranged with the Lancashire Police as under the terms of a court injunction (see www.shac.net) was harassed today by around 25 police officers.

The Lancaster Animal Rights Group, (LARG) which arranged the demonstration, was first spied upon by police officers from behind their unmarked police car door. Their attempt to photograph the protesters was spotted and thwarted (by holding plackards in their way).

According to LARG, Ashashi Glass are a customer of Huntingdon Life Sciences who pay to have 8 week old beagle puppies tortured.

First hand report in full

Later in December some smart manouvering by Fleetwood Animal Right's Alliance meant their protest went ahead unhindered by a court injunction or police and bailiffs.

Full report

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"March Against the Murderers"

28-12-2003 00:00

Huntingdon, Sat Dec 6th. Around 400 people assembled in Huntingdon with one purpose – to give a clear message that institutionalised animal torture will not be tolerated.

The protesters began assembling in Riverside car park around midday, where they were greeted by police officers thrusting video cameras in their faces as they left their vehicles, and a police helicopter circling overhead. The protesters browsed animal rights merchandise and vegan food, or watched videos played on a mobile screen which showed horrific footage from inside the infamous Huntingdon Life Sciences laboratory, including images of beagle puppies being punched and sworn at as they screamed in terror, and inspiring footage of the past actions of animal rights activists.

Full report and pictures