People linked to animal experimentation who have suffered attacks and intimidation from animal rights extremists have banded together to lobby the UK government for changes in the law.
The Victims of Animal Rights Extremism (VARE) group was launched at the British Parliament on Thursday. The 100-strong body of people who have suffered violence and harassment wants the government to crack down on the problem of extremism.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a tremendous and desperate need for an organisation like this to exist,鈥� says Mark Matfield, director of the Research Defence Society, who set up VARE.
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The voluntary group, which is currently not listed as a charity so that its address does not have to be revealed, aims to also provide support and help for victims of extremism. 鈥淭he government and police don鈥檛 seem to be solving this problem,鈥� says Matfield. He adds the situation may even be worsening.
鈥淭he government so far has been absolutely supportive,鈥� says Brian Cass of Huntington Life Sciences (HLS) in Cambridgeshire, which has been a major target. 鈥淏ut more has to be done,鈥� says Cass, who himself was beaten up by extremists armed with baseball bats.
Hardcore pool
Cass says VARE is pushing for the government to enact a single piece of criminal legislation specifically to tackle the tactics of animal rights extremists that currently fall outside the remit of the police and Crown Prosecution Service. The police believe that most of the extreme acts are carried out by a hardcore pool of only 20 or 30 people.
Matfield says the police have been 鈥渧ery good鈥� in their approach to these crimes and have got some convictions. 鈥淏ut the problem is 鈥� what do they get for a bit of criminal damage? Three months inside?鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely right to say there are only a very small number of people involved in the [anti-vivisection] movement who engage in illegal activities,鈥� says Wendy Higgins, campaigns director at the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, a campaign group not linked to extremism. 鈥淏ut inevitably groups like VARE paint a picture of the entire movement as a bunch of extremists.
鈥淭here are already sufficient laws in place to deal with any kind of illegal activity,鈥� she told 快猫短视频. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 a justification for even more legal restrictions for people鈥檚 right to protest.鈥�
As well as scientists, computing staff and people from businesses connected to animal experimentation gathered in London for VARE鈥檚 launch.
One woman, who works for a contract research establishment, has been targeted for five years. 鈥淚t started with a phone call telling me to sell my shares and progressed to actual death threats through the post. It got more and more aggressive, culminating in explosions outside my house where my car and my husband鈥檚 car were firebombed,鈥� she said.
The cars were written off, but the blast also caused 拢5000 damage to the front of her house, shattering the bedroom window where the couple were sleeping. 鈥淚t really is frightening and life changing,鈥� she says.
鈥淧uppy killer鈥�
Since February 2003, extremists decided to target Japanese companies contracting work to Huntingdon Life Sciences. One man described how his company had received animal body parts and bomb hoaxes. One of their directors was physically attacked on his way to work and was left 鈥渧ery shocked and very depressed鈥�.
More recently, the extremists have turned their attentions to more general and junior staff, he says, with cars vandalised and 鈥減uppy killer鈥� painted on walls. They are also targeting family members of employees, which is 鈥渧ery frightening鈥� he added.
鈥淪ince the last time we have had our cars trashed, I haven鈥檛 had a full night鈥檚 sleep,鈥� says another victim.
Cass stresses that their members do legitimate jobs in vital industries. 鈥淓verybody in this country could ultimately become a target of this campaign,鈥� he warns.