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Documentary Exposes U.S. Government’s War on Animal Rights “Terrorists”

February 17, 2016 by Leave a Comment


The News

“Investigating and preventing animal rights extremism is one of our highest domestic terrorism priorities. We are committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle these movements; to protect our fellow citizens; and to bring to justice those who commit crimes and terrorism in the name of animal rights.”

Footage of an FBI agent delivering these chilling remarks at a U.S. Senate hearing is just one of many historic moments included in “Activists or Terrorists?,” a half hour Participant Media documentary narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal that exposes the U.S. government’s tyrannical effort to intimidate and silence animal rights activists. Following is a short clip:

Profiled in the documentary are several activists who have been victims of government repression, including Lauren Gazzola and Andy Stepanian, who were convicted of terrorism and sent to prison for their role in undermining the animal testing behemoth Huntington Life Sciences, and Will Potter, an investigative journalist threatened by the FBI to be put on a domestic terrorist list if he didn’t agree to become an informant.

Will Potter captures factory farm footage with a drone before being confronted by the property owners

Will Potter uses a drone to captures factory farm footage before being confronted by the owners

Also profiled are activist Ryan Shapiro and attorney Jeffrey Light, who have used freedom of information laws to uncover the government’s war on the animal rights movement — a crusade backed by the multi-national corporations that exploit animals.

Andy Stepanian is arrested during a fur protest at Macy's in the lat 90s.

Andy Stepanian is arrested during a fur protest at Macy’s in the late 90s.

“Activists or Terrorists?,” which airs on Friday, February 19 at 10pm ET on Pivot TV, is one of ten episodes in a docs-series called “Truth or Power” about how private institutions and governments violate the public trust. Following is a trailer for the series:

According to the producers, the series “highlights the stories of ordinary people going to extraordinary lengths to expose large-scale injustice: from corporations receiving lucrative government contracts for dangerous private prisons, to governments using data-gathering technology to scoop up huge amounts of information about their citizens.”


Filed under: Experimentation, Food
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SHAC Ends 15 Year War Against Animal Testing Company

August 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment


The News

According to The Independent, the UK chapter of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), an activist group that employs direct action to expose and shut down animal testing company Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), has ended its campaign due to an “onslaught of government repression.” Over the years, dozens of SHAC activists, including the group’s leaders, have been sent to jail. SHAC targeted HLS because undercover videos taken inside the labs, in which millions of animals have died, showed extreme abuse and animal torture. What made SHAC activists unique was not only the sheer boldness of their tactics but also their strategy of targeting institutions that do business with the HLS – their banks, suppliers and contractors. If SHAC could cut off the oxygen, then the company would suffocate.

SHAC

Your Turn

Social justice movements always grow in strength, and animal rights is no exception. SHAC says it will “reassess our methods, obstacles and opponent’s weaknesses” and will “seek to influence the government into changing the law to prevent animal cruelty.” In 2006, six members of the U.S. chapter of SHAC were imprisoned under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. Learn more about animal testing and why – extreme cruelty aside – it’s an antiquated approach.


Filed under: Experimentation
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