New Book: ALF – Complete Diary Of Actions

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Every ALF raid, in one place: New 130 page book chronicling over 40 years of the Animal Liberation Front.

Just back from the printer: The first assembled timeline of the Animal Liberation Front’s 40+ year history – from broken windows to lab raids.

In 2009, I released the first timeline of the ALF’s (then-) 30 year history. After selling over 1,000 copies, the book went out of print in 2012.

Now, 10 years later, I gave the “A.L.F. Diary Of Actions” a thorough update and all new layout, bringing it up to date for 2022. It is now available in two formats: Free PDF download, or paperback.

Free PDF Download

Enter your email address in the sidebar (right side of the page) and get the PDF emailed to you instantly.

Paperback

Amazon ($6.95 + free shipping)

Bookshop.org (support local bookstores)

30+ other bookselling sites

Internationally (UK, Spain, Canada, more)

ALF: Diary Of Actions (preview)

From the introduction:

“A.L.F.: Complete Diary of Actions is the first attempt at compiling the complete history of recorded A.L.F. actions—from lab raids to paint bombs—in one collection. This is the unwritten history of an underground movement that rises to the call of non-human animals, rescuing them through direct or indirect means under the cover of darkness. With this collection, we wish to offer historians and activists the first attempt at a comprehensive resume of the U.S.’s most prolific underground movement, and the last hope for thousands of animals each year.

The information compiled here was pooled from numerous sources. Every effort was made to verify the accuracy of the data, and ensure the thoroughness of this timeline’s scope. It can be speculated that reported actions represent but only a portion of all A.L.F. (and other) activity. This is not presented as an all-inclusive list. Instead, it attempts to collect all actions reported to the greater movement, and many which were less publicized.

In bringing this information together in one place, some points become evident. The sheer prolificness of underground activists in this 30-year old movement is immense, with over 1,500 recorded actions in 40+ years. For all this activity, fewer than 40 activists have been arrested. Of those, only a small handful have served any substantial amount of prison time. The cost/benefit calculation is clear: for the animal liberation movement, the A.L.F. represents a net gain.

The actions here are diverse, in both tactics and impact. Look closely at this timeline, and it will tell a story. Direct action trends corresponding to above-ground campaigns. Cells building their skill level, evolving their tactics, and disbanding for reasons unknown. We see expertly coordinated lab raids of the 1980s fading to the surge of small-scale property damage of the mid-1990s, the further surge of fur farm raids, the return of the lab raid, and the gradual fading of lower-impact retail-level actions into the less numerous, yet higher-impact actions in the era of this timeline’s end.

The greatest power of the Animal Liberation Front perhaps has yet to be realized. While U.S. history has not yet shown us a focused direct action campaign that has collapsed an entire industry and rid it from this earth forever, no movement should scale it’s hope to the limits of recorded history, but instead to the boundless potential of the unwritten future.

Every activist who attended an anti-fur demo this year pairing off and visiting a fur farm would guarantee there were no fur stores to protest next year. Every person who dined at a vegetarian restaurant today pairing off and visiting a slaughterhouse tonight would ensure every restaurant was vegetarian tomorrow. And every person who refused an animal tested product today striking a high-impact blow against animal experimentation tonight would guarantee a more hopeful future for all of vivisection’s victims.

This is the story of those who make animal liberation a reality.

For Liberation
Peter Young”

New Book: “The A.L.F. Strikes Again” – ALF writing collection

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“The A.L.F. Strikes Again : Collected Writings Of The Animal Liberation Front In North America” – nearly everything written by the Animal Liberation Front, in one place.

Twelve years ago I started a project  with one goal: to collect every piece of writing from the North American Animal Liberation Front into one massive book.

Over a decade in the making, the book is now live.

“The A.L.F. Strikes Again: The Collected Writings Of The Animal Liberation Front In North America” was compiled to serve as the definitive historical record of the Animal Liberation Front.

Coming in at 700+ pages, the book is available now at these links:

1. Amazon.com (cheapest)
2. Bookshop.org (support local stores)
3. European orders
4. Many other sites + international

Details

• Title: “The A.L.F. Strikes Again: Collected Writings Of The Animal Liberation Front In North America”
• Pages: 704
• ISBN: ‎ 9781732709690
• Price: $14.95 on Amazon, more elsewhere (about 30 cents above cost).

Front & back cover:

Table of Contents

Animal Liberation Front Strikes Again: Table of Contents by Peter_Daniel_Young on Scribd

Part One: How It Was Done – The A.L.F. gives step-by-step accounts of some of their most spectacular animal liberations, including:

• The University Of Arizona (1,200 animals rescued, 1989)
• University of California – Harbor (12 dogs rescued, 1983)
• College Of Notre Dame (250 mice rescued, 2000)
• …and a dozen more

Part Two: Interviews – Rare tell-all interviews with the Animal Liberation Front, including activists behind raids such as:

• The University of Pennsylvania (labs broken into and vivisection footage removed, 1984)
• Texas Tech University (Five cats rescued, 1989)
• University of Alberta (29 cats rescued, 1992)
• …and ten more.

Part Three: Essays – From anonymous bulletins for the A.L.F. to communicate between cells, to overt calls to action, to prison writings – it’s all here. Among them:

• “A.L.F. Bulletin To All Fur Farm Raiders” (message from an A.L.F. cell on optimizing fur farm liberations)
• “Life Underground” (Anonymous A.L.F. member on the necessity of going underground for animal liberation)
• “Fire Is A Good Tool” (Activist behind rescue of 46 dogs from a California lab on regrets over not burning the lab down)
• …and over 15 more.

Part Four: Communiques – Over 150 anonymous statements released after A.L.F. actions, among them:

• University Of Oregon (264 animals rescued, 1986)
• University Of Minnesota (116 animals rescued, 1999)
• United Feeds (fur farm feed supplier burned down, 1999)
• …and over 150 more.

Part Five: How To Guides – Literal manuals on carrying out Animal Liberation Front (A.L.F.) actions – large to small, including:

• An Animal Liberation Primer (introductory manual to basic sabotage techniques)
• How To Sink Whalers (how to sink ships that kill animals)
• The Final Nail (step-by-step guides to raiding fur farms)
• …and more.

Download a sample excerpt

From Section One: “How It Was Done – Raiding Loma Linda University (+more)”

Download here (PDF)

From the intro:

“The largest-ever collection of writings from the Animal Liberation Front

At over 700 pages, this is the definitive look inside the Animal Liberation Front (A.L.F.).

The  A.L.F. Strikes Again is the largest-ever collection of writing from members of the Animal Liberation Front (the “radical fringe of the animal rights movement”), tying together over 40 years of documents and writings with one goal: A complete collection of everything written by the A.L.F. in North America.

The Animal Liberation Front (A.L.F.) intervenes where mainstream animal rights groups have failed. The A.L.F. breaks into buildings, rescues animals, and destroys property of animal abusers. They work outside the law, and, unless caught, their identities are never known.

With few blindspots, this book compiles nearly everything written by the North American A.L.F. – Settling the score on what the A.L.F. is, what they believe, and exactly how they do what they do.

Forty years into the A.L.F.’s history in North America, despite over 1,000 actions, being the subject of multiple congressional hearings, and surviving the label of “America’s number one domestic terrorist threat”—their history has been largely untold.

Academics, journalists, internal opposition and external opposition—many have taken small shots at the full story. Among it all, the A.L.F.’s voice in its own history is the one pushed furthest to the back. In being the saviors of the voiceless, one also becomes the voiceless.

In this collection, the A.L.F.’s voice is restored.

Regarded by many as heroes today, yet regarded by nearly all as heroes tomorrow—this book will play a role in history vindicating the Animal Liberation Front.”

Available now:

1. Amazon.com (cheapest)
2. Powells.com
3. Books A Million
4. Half Price Books
5. Many other sites

I’ll end with the source of the cover image: This article from an Arizona newspaper after the ALF liberated 1,200 animals from the University of Arizona labs in 1989:

PS: Wholesale copies are available in quantities of five or more, sold at-cost (literally the exact cost to print and ship). Email for wholesale rates.

Out now: New “terrorist’s handbook,” updated for 2020

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Reposted from Coalition Against Fur Farms

Out now & updated for 2020: “The Blueprint” – New fur farm addresses list.

Called a “terrorist handbook” by fur farmers, the 10th anniversary edition contains massive amounts of new fur farm intelligence, such as:

• Over 100 new fur farms.
• 90+ closed farms.
• Updated analysis on industry vulnerabilities.
• Much more…

Download the PDF
Download here

Buy in book format
Buy on Amazon ($6.95)
Buy on 40+ other sites (slightly more)

Reviews:

“The Blueprint is…. a terrorist handbook.” Utah mink farmer

“A how-to guide for carrying out attacks against mink ranchers.” Park Record

Table of Contents

Part I: The Foundation
How To End the Fur Industry

Part II: Weak Links
State Of The Industry: Why We Are Close To Winning
Feed Suppliers
Processors
Research
Aleutian Disease
Melatonin Implants
Vaccines

Part III: Fur Farm Addresses
History of Fur Farm Intelligence
Fur Industry Address List

Part IV: Addendum
Closed Farm List
Small Farm List
Data Sources
Fur Farm Numbers
Most Wanted List
Adopt A Fur Farm / Further Research

In 2009, The original Blueprint compiled the largest-ever collection of fur industry address and intelligence to date.

Updated for 2020, the new Blueprint compiles all fur industry information gathered in the last 10 years: Over 100 newly discovered farms, updated list of closures, and 17 pages of analysis on the top 6 weaknesses in the industry (vaccines, melatonin implants, more).

From the preface to the updated edition:

“The number of new addresses that have come to light since the original Blueprint are massive. This updated Blueprint offers many times more new info than the original Blueprint (without this editor spending a summer driving to farms).

Here is a rough breakdown of what is new for the updated Blueprint:

• 100+ new fur farm addresses.
• 90+ confirmed farm closures.
• 100+ updated details: addresses, owner names, more.
• More detailed analysis of weaknesses.

Whatever leap forward the first Blueprint offered, the 10th anniversary update offers in vastly greater numbers.

The Blueprint was released in December 2009. Countless hard copies were distributed at animal rights conferences, it was downloaded tens of thousands of times, and it helped introduce to a new generation of activists that the fur industry was comprised of farms and other entities that had physical addresses.

The broader history of fur farm intelligence gathering is traced on page 30, but The Blueprint’s place in it was defined in part by the following:

• Dozens of new fur farm addresses made public.
• Operational status of over 200+ farms confirmed.
• Hundreds of new details on fur farms and other industry sites published (specific addresses, notes on layout, species imprisoned, photographs etc).

The 2009 Blueprint compiled fur industry addresses, weaknesses, analysis, and specific detail on industry targets that had never been compiled in such detail in one place (the original fur farm list The Final Nail deserves original credit for the concept). Much of the details The Blueprint contained were either previously scattered, or altogether unknown.

Among the greatest testimonials to the efficacy of efforts like The Blueprint came from this paraphrasing of the Fur Commission USA’s head of security in Capital Press:

“The days of finding security by keeping a low profile in a rural location are over.”

After its 2009 release, The Blueprint had a cascading effect – both direct and speculative. In the former category, it set off a surge of anonymous research, document leaks, and other industry information coming to light at a pace I have not seen in the 15 years I have tracked the industry. Both myself and platforms like FinalNail.com received anonymous submissions regularly in the years that followed.

If The Blueprint accomplishes nothing else, it’s this small bit of accountability: There’s nowhere to hide, your vulnerabilities are laid bare, and only the reason you still exist is that a small group of dedicated people have yet to apply the knowledge contained here to its maximum impact.”

The Blueprint: Ending The F… by fur_industry_docs on Scribd

New Book: Liberate – Animal Liberation, Above The Law

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Over the last decade, I have been slowly (very slowly) compiling writings and lecture transcripts into book form, and that book has arrived.

“Liberate: Animal Liberation Above The Law, Stories And Lessons On The Animal Liberation Front, Animal Rights Activism, & The Animal Liberation Underground“

Liberate comes in at nearly 400 pages with essays spanning nearly 20 years.

A sample of the subjects I cover:

• Breaking into farms and labs.
• Researching ALF targets.
• Fugitive stories of being hunted by the FBI.
• History of ALF lab raids.
• How to liberate animals from farms (and more).
• Prison survival for activists.
• Anecdotes and lessons from being targeted law enforcement.
• The outlaw’s guide to security culture.
• The “seven laws of militance.”
• Actionable lessons and tactics from the Animal Liberation Front.

…and more.

• Order on Amazon
• Order from 30+ other sites

Table of Contents

The story of Liberate

Even at a glacial writing and speaking pace, over 10 years the material adds up. But I never thought I was within a light-year of having a books-worth of content, and never considered doing one.

Then several years ago, a book editor asked me to submit an article specifically on how people are caught for Animal Liberation Front actions. As it happened, I had given a talk on this exact subject many years prior. So I went into my archives to locate my notes. But with the passing of many years, the hunt was fruitless. And with no known recording of the talk and forced to write from scratch or decline the invitation, I choose the latter.

I was left to lament the transience of messages delivered from a podium. All that remained for the effort was a stack of boarding passes, cheap applause, occasional audience feedback, and a cobbled- together folder on my computer of video recordings and audio files from the rare organizer (with more initiative than me) who thought ahead to preserve the moment.

This inspired me to take steps to preserve what content I did have in my possession, mostly written. The mission took me across eight retired computers, dozens of boxes, email accounts with forgotten passwords, and even college libraries to photocopy published essays I had no backup of.

Despite my clear failure as an archivist, I was able to cobble together about 150 pages of material – most of it unpublished or seen by few.

When I saw the material came in at a combined 150 pages, I had a brief thought that there could be a book here. But it wasn’t enough.

I advanced to Phase Two of my archivist mission: rounding up the very few lecture recordings that existed from my time speaking at colleges and elsewhere. The recordings were few, but I did preserve about a dozen records that I thought had been lost forever (or never knew existed at all).

At some point I learned you can pay people $1 a minute to transcribe recordings. After handing off my files to them, they returned a megafile of over 15 hours of edited transcriptions. I edited these transcripts down by over 80%, and pushed the project to over 300 pages of material.

The transcripts – along with other loose ends comprised of published writings, unpublished writings, and podcast interviews –  came together to form Liberate.

In Part One, I immediately betray the book’s central mission of “actionable content” with an assemblage of personal interviews & writings, absent of any tactical guidance and merely contextualizing what’s to come.

In Part Two, the action. The principles of moving from idea to execution. When many talk but few strike, what is the exact architecture of beliefs that creates the warrior mindset? I’ve spent years looking at this question and deliver specific insights.

In Part Three, two short entries on the subject of Research & Investigation. Because you can’t shut down what you can’t find.

In Part Four, I move from high-level mindset to hyper-specific: Working outside the law to rescue animals, and the history of those who have. From the laser-focused tactical (“How They Got In”) to the esoteric and editorial (“The Enemy Within”), this is the section specific to those who have broken the law – or want to.

In Part Five, guerrilla media-generation. When an action (of any kind) happens, the work doesn’t end there. You insure an impact that extends far beyond by accessing the media through a secret back door. This is the poorman’s public relations formula: what to do when you have no money, no contacts, perhaps not even a story. I open up my media playbook to generate massive publicity without PR firms or media connections.

In Part Six, what happens after you get caught: prison. Few subjects relevant to the animal liberator are both so under-reported and so willfully misrepresented when they are.

In Part Seven, how to respond to attempts by the government to stop ourmwork. Passivity will always find an excuse. The true threat we face isn’t “government repression,” it’s how we respond to it.

Then, Outtakes. With so much left on the editing room floor across dozens of lecture transcripts and interviews, I offer a small sampling of excerpts acrossm many years. When I felt an item had value that wasn’t covered elsewhere – eitherma useful point, historical curiosity, or engaging anecdote – it was included (in 9-point font) here.

The book ends with a deliberately-positioned message to any animal liberation activist advancing in years, and how the greatest threat to your long term efficacy isn’t the FBI, it’s irrelevance through blind conformity to your “radical activist” identity.

My mission with Liberate is explicit: To write the book I wish I had access to when I was 18 and eager to shortcut past the learning curve of taking effective action.

Thanks for reading.

-Peter Young

Where To Order…

The book is about a cheap as it gets for something almost 400 pages: $9.95 on Amazon, and a little more everywhere else.

Hip hop is not a crime: Lyrics used as evidence in mink release case

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Satirical hip hop lyrics, more used as evidence in mink release case.

Since Animal Enterprise Terrorism charges were filed against Kevin Olliff & Tyler Lang in July, the FBI has released new information outlining the evidence against them.

Background

In August 2013, the pair were pulled over eight miles from a fox farm in rural Illinois. The night before, 2,000 mink were released from a fur farm several hours away, in Morris, Illinois. Both were charged with and plead guilty to “Possession of Burglary Tools” for various items found in their vehicle, the most “serious” of which was a pair of wire cutters.

A year later, in July 2014, the two were charged on the federal level on charges of “Animal Enterprise Terrorism” for the Illinois mink release.

New evidence unveiled last week

The lawyer for Kevin Olliff filed a motion for release on bail last week, prompting the government to file an 11-page response that gives the first glimpse into specific evidence being used against them. Among the most absurd: satirical hip hop lyrics and baseball hats.

The evidence

• “Animal extremist” publications.” Quote:

“A flash drive which contained two known and widely circulated publications amongst animal rights extremists. Agents reviewed the publications, which revealed that the authors of the publications advocated the release of minks and foxes from fur farms and also advocated vandalism of the farms. The publications set forth instructions on how to accomplish the release of the animals, including by suggesting the use of new bolt cutters for each act of vandalism, to turn off cellular telephones leading up to and during the act of vandalism, and to obtain police radio scanners to detect law enforcement presence in the area.”

• Lists of fur farms.
• “Cutting tools, bolt cutters, and smaller snips”
• Cell phones that records show were “turned off in the days leading up to the mink farm vandalism.”
• A radio frequency scanner. Quote:

“A search of the radio frequency scanner recovered from the vehicle determined that the radio had been set to detect radio frequencies used by law enforcement in both Morris, Illinois, and Woodford County, Illinois.”

• “Items consistent with committing a vandalism” (sic) including rubber gloves, ski masks, ball caps, bolt cutters, and miscellaneous cutters.
• Aircraft paint remover.
• Various books.
• “Mink fur” traces recovered from clothing.

The most outlandish of the claims

The most erroneous of the government’s claims is that acid, bleach and peroxide allegedly found in the car are “necessary components to build an incendiary device.” The specific quote:

Five bottles of muriatic acid; two bottles of Clorox bleach; one container of hydrogen peroxide. These substances taken together are necessary components to build an incendiary device.

A cursory Google search (which I don’t recommend on your home compuster) shows this claim to be completely false. These are simply not ingredients in incendiary devices.

The government doesn’t hesitate to use conspiracy charges against suspects, and if they could in any way substantiate their claim there was an arson plot, or even that the items found could be used in one, they would have done so.

Hip hop is not a crime: Satirical rap lyrics used as evidence

In an odd lack of concern for looking stupid, the FBI is attempting to use a handwritten note allegedly retrieved from Kevin’s pants pocket, containing satirical hip hop lyrics.

An (edited) sample:

“According to the courts, I’m doing something deeply illegal.

So many warrants I’m bored of ducking police vehicles.

The devil told me that I’m fundamentally evil.

I get my protein when I hunt and eat people.

Sicker than a vivisector stuck with a diseased needle..

My only vegan recipes start with gasoline and diesel.”

From court documents filed last week.

While the FBI has never been accused of having a sense of humor, or being versed in hip hop, they should either:

• Get clued in to traditional lyrical stylings of rap music, which these lampooning rhymes are consistent with, or-
• Be consistent and criminally indict every hip hop artist using criminal-themed fantasy lyrics since the beginning of recorded rap music in 1979.

The issue of rap lyrics being used in criminal cases has been put before the courts many times, as an NPR story from August covers well: “Court Says Rap Lyrics Can’t Be Used As Evidence In A Criminal Trial.”

To quote a lawyer interviewed in the above article:

“One would not presume that Bob Marley, who wrote the well-known song ‘I Shot the Sheriff,’ actually shot a sheriff, or that Edgar Allan Poe buried a man beneath his floorboards, as depicted in his short story ‘The Tell-Tale Heart,’ simply because of their respective artistic endeavors on those subjects.”

Later this year, the Supreme Court is set to take up this issue when it hears arguments in a case in which rap lyrics were used in a man’s conviction.

Other details revealed

The government is claiming 400 of the 2,000 mink released in Morris, Illinois were not recovered. These figures are always to be considered extremely suspect, as they originate from the fur farmers themselves.

The government motion also gives a look at the impact of even a “small” mink release, particularly the expense of lost breeding data, and that the financial impact of a mink release extends far beyond the animals not recovered:

Even for the recovered mink, however, the farmers were harmed in that they were unable to determine the original breed for re-sale. The damage to the mink, which was the sole livelihood of the farm, together with the physical damage to the vehicles, the barn, and the fence, devastated the farmers, resulting in a loss in excess of $125,000.

Kevin’s release uncertain

The judge has yet to rule on the dueling motions, which determine whether he will be released on bail at the conclusion of his state sentence on October 15th.

Stay up to date on developments in the case on the Support Kevin & Tyler website.

30 foxes released by the Animal Liberation Front in Iowa

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An Iowa fur farm is raided in first fur farm raid of the year.

In a communique received by Bite Back, the Animal Liberation Front took credit for releasing 30 foxes from the fur farm owned by Robert Roman in Anamosa, Iowa on September 25th, 2014.

According to the communique, fencing on the east and west side were cut away, and cages opened, allowing 30 foxes to escape.

Fur farmer detects raid at 2am

According the fur farmer Robert Roman, he detected the break-in at 2am when his dogs began barking.

 “Their activities were disrupted,” he said. “I think they fled.”

Media continues to quote fur farmers on animals’ likelihood of survival

In a message aimed at the media to head off erroneous claims of released animals dying due to lack of survival skills, the Animal Liberation Front gave them these words:

“We encourage the media to maintain their professional integrity by seeking comment from actual wildlife biologists about the survivability of farm-raised fox, not fur farmers or their trade groups.”

However, the media continued to solicit quotes from fur farmers on this subject, and not those with qualified opinions.

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act may not be applicable

According to an Iowa FBI agent, the damages may not have exceeded $10,000, which, according to the agent, is the threshold for an AETA prosecution. As such, this may not be a case prosecuted by the Department of Justice, and if those responsible are caught, the case may be prosecuted locally-

” The law that enables FBI involvement in the crime requires at least a $10,000 loss that has not yet been established in this case, she said.”

First fur farm raid of the year

After ten releases of fur farm animals in 2013, this is the first fur farm liberation of 2014.

All animals recaptured, say police

According to police and the fur farmer, only two animals actually left their pens, and both were recaptured. There are reportedly 300 foxes held captive at the fur farm.

An aerial view of the Rob Roman fox farm.

The communique

The full ALF communique reads, in full:

“The Animal Liberation Front is taking responsibility for the release of 30 foxes from a fur farm in Anamosa, Iowa in the late-evening of Thursday, September 25th 2014. 10 years after the 2004 raid of the University of Iowa, the ALF has returned to east-central Iowa.

The farm targeted was:

Robert Roman
23778 Fairview Road
Anamosa, IA 52205

The majority of fencing on the farm’s east and west sides were stripped away. The fencing on the north was enveloped in heavy brush and unlikely to be a point of passage, while the south abutted a shed retrofitted with living quarters, with lights on and a car outside, indicating we were not alone.

An advantage of releasing foxes over mink is that foxes are silent. As a result, the proximity of fox pens to a farmer’s house is irrelevant, as we have shown.

Future visitors to fox farms should be aware that foxes are extremely timid. Unlike mink they should be encouraged to exit their cages as a vital ingredient of any fox rescue.

A point worth repeating: This entire action required $40 in gas, $20 in tools, and only a few hours to execute.

The past two years has seen a tenfold increase in the number of known fox farm addresses. The animal liberation movement is now in an unprecedented position to wipe out fox farming in the United States. Fox farms represent the softest of targets for these reasons:

• Fox farms are small, with animal numbers usually in the dozens.
• Foxes are silent (mentioned above).
• Foxes are rarely a primary income source for farmers, who can be more easily persuaded to discontinue fox farming.
• There are under 150 fox farms known to exist.

Foxes are genetically wild. There is a large and thriving wild fox population in Iowa. We encourage the media to maintain their professional integrity by seeking comment from actual wildlife biologists about the survivability of farm-raised fox, not fur farmers or their trade groups.

To be clear, our mission extends far beyond fur. We aim to eradicate all animal-exploitation industries – meat, dairy, egg, animal research, and beyond. We encourage the public to adopt a vegan diet first; raid farms second.

A final message to activists: The ALF doesn’t need your passive support. We need your active participation.

Animal Liberation Front

Dedicated to accused mink rescuers currently under federal indictment in the United States, and activists making history in Eastern Europe.”

“I Used to Break into Laboratories to Free Animals”

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---

I began to feel like a bloated water balloon, still affixed to a running tap: bursting was inevitable, and I was already leaking…

One day shortly thereafter I was taking my son and our dog Morgan for a walk to the park. Morgan’s eyes are starting to glaze over with age, and it’s only in a vast open field at the rear of the park that I let her off her leash. In the field she does not have any risk of running into anything and every time I unhook her leash, she dashes off, running as fast as she can, usually in a giant figure eight pattern. On this day she did the same but unexpected to me, in that very moment, seeing her run free and unhinged my balloon popped. I found myself crying and adrift in a whirlwind of emotions.

I thought to myself of just how many days I spent talking about negative things (state repression, court cases) or reciting bewildering and often disheartening statistics about human consumption of animals, and just how few days I spent talking about freedom, about liberation, and about this beautiful and deeply spiritual idea of animals as individuals.

I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on some of these individuals.

---

Renee

Renee was a rhesus macaque monkey. Renee had spent 11 years in confinement, her health was ailing, and her future uncertain. She was never experimented upon, but rather was listlessly awaiting experiments at another facility. I sat for two hours in a thunderstorm before jumping the gates to the compound where she was held and bringing her to sanctuary.
Every year I think about Renee. I’ll never forget how Renee, despite being in an animal carrier, still managed to tear up the back seat of my mother’s car. I’ll never forget about how her prolonged poor health rendered her barren, and I’ll never forget about how her inherent desire to be a mother made her the perfect guardian for an infant monkey who ended up at her sanctuary a year later. I’ll never forget this selflessness in Renee. Renee gave something priceless to that little monkey and moreover, years later she would give me something priceless.

---

Alice

Alice was born at a breeder for vivisection and lived for six months in a holding pen for reserve research animals, en route to testing facilities. I opened Alice’s pen and carried her to safety. I had to run over a mile and a half with Alice before reaching our exit vehicle and while I was running, Alice threw up on me. Before getting in the car with Alice I put her down. I saw her sway and then land on her side. She was motionless for nearly a minute. In this moment of desperately trying to understand what was happening to Alice my comrades and I began to yell at each other. We fumbled to find her pulse; we thought the worst and my friend to my right began to cry. Then, almost as fast as she fell down, she sprang back up, wagged her tail and licked me in the face. We would later learn that Alice had an ailment that impacted her equilibrium, but would ultimately live a long, happy and healthy life.
This was the first time in Alice’s life she felt anything other than concrete under her feet. It was overwhelming for both her and us, because in that moment we both received something very special.

---

Oscar

Oscar was also born into a facility that bred waterfowl for vivisection. Oscar would have but six months before he would end up on a necropsy table, unless someone interceded. It only made sense to intercede.
In our months of advance recognizance, we took notice of Oscar. He had a limp, one leg was shorter than the other, and he was only partially covered with his plumage. He was at a disadvantage from the peers with which he shared his installation, yet we’d watch as every night he and a dozen others would pile together to keep warm. On the night when we freed Oscar from his confines, he rode on a truck with hundreds of those peers.
Our trip was nerve-racking. We hoped to reach the sanctuary by sunrise. The temperature outside was in the 50s but the back of the truck was 80 degrees and climbing. Every stop we made to open the back of the truck to allow cool air in was another risk of being caught and every moment above 80 degrees was another risk to the safety of the birds inside. When we arrived, the walls of the truck were wet with condensed sweat.
We met the sanctuary owner. The man was a saint, and I felt guilty that he actually thought my name was Holden Caulfield. He led us to where we could unload our friends, an adapted Quonset Hut reminiscent of a miniature airplane hanger with a greenhouse top and an exit to an adjacent field and pond.
Oscar’s friends, in a brilliant chorus of noise and motion, ran en masse toward the pond and dove in. It was so brilliant, it almost felt choreographed. But I quickly became concerned and asked the sanctuary owner if the transition from a hot truck to the cold waters of a Pacific Northwest pond were dangerous. He acknowledged these concerns and suggested we wade out into the pond and begin clapping our hands to wrangle our friends back in. Slowly, they made their way from the pond back to the warmth of the hanger, shaking the water off in what looked like celebratory dancing, but then we saw Oscar…

Oscar was stumbling on himself and his breathing was erratic. He was not shaking the water off.

We dried Oscar with towels and moved him to an adjacent warm space by himself. We wanted him to feel safe; we wanted him to feel loved; we wanted him to recover from whatever shock he was experiencing, but he did not. Oscar died that afternoon.

I have never been able to forgive my recklessness of that day. But I also know I will never be able to capture in words the awe of seeing Oscar and his friends celebrate their first day of freedom. Oscar and each of his friends gave me lasting inspiration and insight into the very act of being alive and free.

Fire destroys building at USDA animal research lab

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Fire destroys empty chicken barn at a USDA research lab in Maryland and site of 1987 raid. Cause remains under investigation.

Empty chicken barn goes up in flames at USDA research center

A fire is under investigation at a large USDA agricultural research center in Beltsville, Maryland. A multi-story chicken barn went up in flames at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center on March 14th. No animals were in the building at the time of the fire, and no animals were harmed.

There has been no public speculation by investigators as to the fire’s cause, and the fire remains under investigation.

Lab was target of 1980s raid

The research center was the target of a raid claimed by the Band of Mercy, who broke into the facility in 1987, rescuing 36 cats and 7 pigs.

The facility, run by the USDA, conducts animal research to benefit various animal and non-animal industries, including the meat industry.

Second mysterious fire at the lab in 15 years

The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center was the site of another unsolved fire in 1999. In that incident, an under-renovation research building was destroyed by an overnight fire. 100 firefighters with 35 pieces of equipment battled the blaze, which destroyed the building and caused $4 million in damages. Again, investigators would not speculate as to a cause.

After raid, Montana fur farmer tells activists: “Jesus loves you”

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The Richwine family declines comment on impact of raid, tells activists God is on their side.

In a Montana newspaper article this week, Kathy Richwine of Fraser Fur Farm told activists that Jesus loves them.

Anonymous activists took credit for entering the fur farm overnight on March 7th, and destroying breeding records. Fraser Fur Farm is believed to be the largest bobcat farm in the country.

Destroying breeding records works: A tacit admission

More usefully, she refused to confirm (or deny) that the raid had a significant impact on the farm.

From the Valley Journal:

Owner Kathy Richwine was able to confirm the attack, but would not confirm the significance of the destroyed records for fear of giving possible future attackers fuel for the cause.

Quite obviously, the only response that would “fuel” future actions would be one that confirmed what is already known: Loss of breeding records can be devastating to a fur farm.

Farmer cites biblical basis for animal abuse

When asked to justify to their captive bobcat operation, Kathy Richwine said:

…her family and the ecoterrorists have completely different ideas about the natural order of the world. Her world view is Biblically established, with humans having dominion over the earth and its creatures.

Oddly, she seems to believe God is on the saboteur’s side, and offered them this comforting message:

“I’d tell them that Jesus loves you.”

Breeding records destroyed at largest bobcat farm in the U.S.

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First known action at Fraser Fur Farm, largest wildcat farm in the US.

In a communique received by Bite Back, anonymous activists took credit for destroying breeding records at the notorious Frazier Fur Farm, believed to be the largest captive bobcat operation in the U.S.

According to the report, on March 7th the activists entered a row of bobcat pens, and began the process of eliminating the breeding cards from each cage.

The activists stated their intention to release animals, but were prematurely “run off-site by awoken residents.” From the communique:

“It is with tremendous sadness in our hearts that despite our best efforts, cages were unable to be opened before being run off-site by awoken residents.”

Breeding records are crucial to the sustenance of a fur farm. Profit is directly related to the quality of the breeding stock, which is only maintained through these records. The destruction of breeding records has at times been cited as more economically damaging to a farm than the release of animals.

The full communique on this action is below.

What we know about Fraser Fur Farm

Fraser Fur Farm is located in Ronan, Montana; north of Missoula.

This fur farm first came onto the radar of activists in the early-1990s, when it was infiltrated by Rod Coronado, who worked there undercover when posing as an aspiring fur farmer. An account of this infiltration is detailed in the book Operation Bite Back, by Dean Kuipers.

Other than the stories contained in OBB, the best information available comes from this anonymous report, circulated after anonymous activists visited the farm during the daytime in 2009. While this report identified the animals imprisoned as lynx (and lynx were confirmed held there at the time of Rod Coronado’s undercover work), the latest information indicates the only wildcats on site are bobcats.

Information obtained by Coalition Against Fur Farms in 2010 states that the following species and numbers of animals were auctioned by Fraser Fur Farm in 2010:

Coyotes: 43
Red Fox: 9
Cross Fox: 2
Bobcats: 87

Fraser Fur Farm also sells animal urine, collected from animals imprisoned there.

The Richwine family, who own the farm, also operate the Burgerville restaurant in neighboring Polson, MT, according to the Final Nail website.

In 2010, police state an employee called 911 and reported the farm received an anonymous call that “terrorist” members of an “animal welfare coalition” will “invade the property and attempt to release the farm’s animals”.

Latest in a fur farm raid resurgence

After years of infrequent fur farm raids, 2013 saw the Animal Liberation Front’s fur farm campaign return to a level not seen since the 1990s. From July to November, there were 10 releases of animals from US fur farms. The last action took place in Colorado, where a previously unknown mink farm had every animal released and subsequently announced its closure.

Photos from inside Fraser Fur Farm

These photos were taken anonymously in 2009, by activists who visited the farm:

The full communique reads:

“In the early morning hours of March the 7th, anonymous individuals breached the property lines of Fraser Fur Farm, a target of anti-fur activists and compassionate individuals for nearly a quarter century. Our motives were borne of a fierce love for wildlife, and a torn heart forced to watch as bobcats and other wild creatures have been made to endure intense confinement and the inevitable fate of a horrendous death at the hands of those who seek to profit from their skins. Fur-farming is a truly despicable industry, and the neck-breaking, rib-cage stomping, anal-electrocutions, and gas chambers must be put to an end by all those with love and courage in their hearts.

After entering the compound, we quickly discovered various methods of security deterrence, including motion-sensor floodlights, fortified fencing, active guard dogs and two houses on-site, one of which say less than 100 feet from the bobcat pens which were our target. Nonetheless, our task was to disrupt as best we could the fate which awaits these fur-bearing animals. Upon entering the bobcat enclosures, we viewed these majestic creatures reduced to market commodities and felt shame that such humans would bestow an existence like this. Some cowered toward the backs of their cages; others slowly inched toward us, curious as to the motives of these last-night visitors; and still others quickly began thrashing about, violently throwing their bodies as a clear expression of the torment inherent in their captivity. Now is our time to lend a hand toward their freedom, and return to the wild.

We quickly began the process of destroying all breeding records. This non-violent act is to ensure the loss of irreplaceable genetic lines, rendering the breeding stock of a given fur-producing business lost. It is with tremendous sadness in our hearts that despite our best efforts, cages were unable to be opened before being run off-site by awoken residents.

This act was meant not to inflict violence against those who profit from this business, or to instill fear and terror in a world already rife with such things. But simply as a gesture of solidarity and love toward those trapped in cages. We, and all others born with enduring compassion in their hearts, will continue to risk freedom in service to others, so long as captivity and violence is the status-quo. We hope and pray for the day when those who reap profits at the expense of all that is sacred will be made to stop the violence, until the last fur farm meets its end.

For all those, human and non-human, continuing to struggle for dignity and peace on occupied land.”

Fur farmers put ALF wanted posters in vegan restaurants

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Fur farmers distribute new “Wanted” poster to convenience stores, coffee shops, more.

The fur industry’s hunt for the Animal Liberation Front just got weirder.

After the Fur Commission issued bulletins telling fur farmers to call the police if their address is on the internet, and to be on alert for the release of the new Earth Crisis album, they may have topped themselves with their latest move: A hilarious Animal Liberation Front “Wanted” poster.

Fur farmers have been sent this poster and encouraged to distribute it near their farms, hoping it will lead to the capture of the Animal Liberation Front. The Fur Commission has instructed farmers to:

“..post [the wanted poster] to bulletin boards in your area.  All-night convenience stores on major highways are a prime location, as are coffee shops and ‘vegan’ restaurants/markets.'”

No explanation is offered as to why a Midwest gas station is a strategic location to court tipsters, why the word “vegan” is put in quotes as though it is obscure slang, or how a hokey stock photo of a burglar might aid in the ALF’s capture.

The text of the poster reads:

Animal rights extremists have been attacking family mink farms all over North America. These attacks, besides being cruel and traumatic to the animals, are federal crimes and fall under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. Hundreds of animals have now suffered and painfully died due to these assaults on hard working families and their farms. The perpetrators are not heroes, or idealists; they
are felons that break into and destroy people’s livelihood, terrorizing families in the dead of night. In order to help stop these offenses, Fur Commission USA is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

After 10 fur farm raids in 5 months, the fur industry has gotten desperate. So desperate, they are apparently willing to embarrass themselves by using a wanted poster template reminiscent of one found in mall photo booths in the vain hopes a tipster will stumble upon their plea at an Idaho gas station.

If you see the man in the above photo, you know what to do.

Animal Liberation Front news article collection, 1984 to 1994

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Read the 52-page collection of press clippings from some of the ALF’s most high-profile raids.

This is a cool one sent by a reader: The “Animal Liberation Front Press Cuttings Pack,” published by the University of Minnesota’s Student Organization For Animal Rights in the mid-90s.

In it are 45 news articles covering a period that saw the majority of the ALF’s most well-known raids, such as:

• University of Arizona (1,200 animals rescued, 1989)
• Texas Tech University (5 cats rescued, 1989)
• Washington State University (7 coyote, 10 mice, 6 mink rescued, 1992)
• Oregon State University experimental fur farm (building set on fire, farm forced to close, 1991)
• Santa Rosa fur store arson (store set on fire, forced to close, 1988)
• Loma Linda University (2 goats and 8 dogs rescued, 1988)
• UC Davis (under-construction vet lab set on fire, 1987)
• University of Oregon (150+ animals rescued, 1986)

…and a ton more.

It’s a fascinating read, including articles that feature anonymous interviews with ALF activists, rare photos showing the aftermath of lab raids, and more.

This is the document to show someone who says the ALF only generates “bad media.” As the introduction points out, the majority of these articles delve into the plight of animals and the actual issues more than coverage of other animal rights activity (like protests). This document makes a strong case that the ALF generates invaluable – and positive – media for the animals.

The full 52-page document can be downloaded here.

Bonus for email subscribers

Sign up for the email list and get a download link for a set of 3 Animal Liberation Frontline reports:

• ALF press clippings collection, 1984-1994 (52 pages)
• ALF: The First 5 Years (4 pages)
• Leaked fur industry security alert collection (45 pages)

Sign up here to get the file, and get email updates as they happen.

Kevin Olliff arrives at prison

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Animal liberation prisoner Kevin Olliff sentenced to a prison with a prisoner-run dairy and meat plant.

After a few weeks at a reception facility, where his communications were limited, Kevin arrived at his prison destination this week. And it’s a strange one.

Kevin was sentenced last month to 2.5 years in prison for possessing wire cutters and cammo clothing prosecutors say were to be used in the raid of a fox farm the night of his arrest.

Good news and bad news

The bad news is, Kevin is at a prison. And a good portion of the population works at on-site “dairy processing” and “meat processing” facilities.

The good news is, it’s a minimum security prison. Often animal liberation prisoners are sent to higher security prisons that are not consistent with their “crimes.” This happens in response to  prisoners whose crimes the prisons don’t understand, or to alarmist “terrorist” rhetoric in the media.

Prison has an on-site “meat processing” facility

It is a twist of cruel irony, the prison where Kevin was designated has an on-site flesh-processing plant, where prisoners process animal flesh for the prison system. There is also a dairy facility at the prison. View a video about all of this here:

He can receive mail again, so please send him a letter at his new address:

Note: Kevin’s legal name is “Kevin Johnson.”

Kevin Johnson
M42382
Vandalia Correctional Center
Post Office Box 500
Vandalia, Illinois 62471

Mail rules at Vandalia Correctional Center:

Here are the mail rules lifted directly from the Illinois State Prison’s website. They seem to indicate books can be mailed directly to prisoners, provided they are in the correct type of envelope.

“Inmates can receive correspondence, legal mail and publications, which are reviewed to determine whether they are obscene or constitute a danger to safety and security. The institutional Publication Review Committee reviews all publications that are not on the approved list, and will disapprove materials that do not meet criteria. Inmates can receive publications, including books, periodicals, magazines, newspapers and catalogs in accordance with department regulations. Inmates can receive publications from a vendor, friend or family. There is no limit through the mail. Publications brought to the facility shall be limited to 5 per visit.

Guidelines need to be followed for envelopes and packages.

• Envelopes that are padded with clear bubble wrap will be accepted. Envelopes that have this type of padding can be easily scanned.
• Envelopes padded with gray diamond dust and corrugated cardboard boxes mailed from family and friends will not be accepted and will be returned to the sender without being opened.”

Activists mass-mail ALF guide to 100 neighbors of proposed mink farm

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The Fur Farm Intelligence Unit sends The Final Nail #4 to everyone within half a mile of upcoming fur farm.

In a communique received by the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, the Fur Farm Intelligence Unit announced it had mailed a copy of the Animal Liberation Front guide The Final Nail #4 to every address within 0.5 miles of a proposed Idaho mink farm.

A surge of fur farm raids follow every time a new volume of the guide is released, and since 1996 The Final Nail has been the source of much fear among the fur industry.

The proposed fur farm

In mid-January, local media reported construction was to begin on a mink farm at the intersection of 800 East and Hwy 91 in Preston, Idaho. Despite neighborhood opposition, the City Council failed to intervene and the new mink farm appears to be on the fast track to opening.

The situation is similar to one faced by the community of Craig, Colorado last fall. When the County Council opted to postpone a decision to block expansion of a small mink farm, anonymous activists raided it within a week and shut it down.

Before this week, the distribution of an ALF “how to” guide to recruit the local community had never been attempted.

Local media covers the mass-mailing

In an article covering the Fur Farm Intelligence Unit’s mass-mailing (“Animal rights activists targeting Preston mink farm“), the Herald-Journal disputes the FFIU’s claim that the City Council failed to act, stating the proposed farm falls outside city jurisdiction, with final approval falling on the Franklin County Commission.

What is the “Fur Farm Intelligence Unit”?

The mass-mailing is the latest move for what (in all likelihood) is a nebulous group called the Fur Farm Intelligence Unit. They have taken credit for the release of sensitive fur industry information such as fur farm addresses and dates fur farmers are out of town.

A look at the data released by the FFIU to date:

August, 2009: Released a list of attendees at the Canadian Mink Breeder’s Association, and the dates several fur farmers were booked at nearby hotels (and consequently would not be home to protect their farms from the ALF.)

December, 2009: Released the address of an unknown Oregon mink farm.

October, 2010: Released the addresses of three unknown mink farms, a new feed supplier, and a new fur industry researcher.

July, 2012: Released a list of 92 unlisted fox farms.

Their message to local residents

Part of the FFIU’s message, included with each copy of The Final Nail #4, read:

“The instructions in this manual may represent your last hope in ridding this fur factory farm from your neighborhood. This guide offers the quickest solution to shut down a fur farm and drive it from your neighborhood forever. Since 1996, over 100 mink and fox farms have been raided using the step-by-step techniques in this guide.”

Preston is a previous ALF target

The town was visited by the Animal Liberation Front in 1997, when 5,000 mink were released from the Palmer Mink Farm.

The communique and letter to Preston residents reads, in full:

“Animal rights group floods Preston mailboxes with guide to raiding mink farms
Group urges raid on proposed fur farm if allowed to open

Preston, Idaho – After the City Council failed to block a proposed mink farm in Preston, this week the “Fur Farm Intelligence Unit” mailed a copy of The Final Nail #4 to every home within half a mile of the proposed farm. The guide was delivered to 95 homes in total. The manual contains a step-by-step, “proven method” for raiding a fur farm and shutting it down.

Recently, the community of Craig, Colorado was faced with the same dilemma, with the County Council failing to act swiftly to block an unwanted mink farm from expanding, despite neighborhood opposition. Anonymous individuals then applied the simple methods in The Final Nail #4, raided the farm overnight, and shut it down permanently.

The note to Preston residents included in the packages reads, in part:

“The instructions in this manual may represent your last hope in ridding this fur factory farm from your neighborhood. This guide offers the quickest solution to shut down a fur farm and drive it from your neighborhood forever. Since 1996, over 100 mink and fox farms have been raided using the step-by-step techniques in this guide.”

The guide, sent free of charge to everyone within half a mile of the proposed farm, contains instruction on:

• How to bypass farm security.
• How to remove fencing.
• How to maximize economic damage and chances of closure.

It also includes addresses for every fur farm in Idaho.

The communique urges a raid on the farm if it is allowed to open. In their statement, the “Fur Farm Intelligence Unit” stated:

“We hope you can defeat this farm legally. And that if your sworn representatives fail to represent you, that you apply the methods in this guide and shut the proposed mink farm down forever.”

This mass-mailing follows a raid of another Idaho mink farm in August, in which 2,500 to 5,000 mink were released, with damages estimated in excess of $1 million.

Idahoans For Animal Liberation

***

Addendum

Every copy of The Final Nail #4 sent to Preston residents included the following note:

Enclosed, you will find The Final Nail #4, a proven method for shutting down fur farms. This how-to guide is accompanied by a list of every fur farm in Idaho.

You are being sent this because, as you may be aware, a mink farm is scheduled to open with a half-mile of you, at 800 East and Hwy 91.

You may also be aware that everywhere mink farms have opened, from Utah to Wisconsin, property values have plummeted, groundwater has been contaminated, and the smell has made many homeowners unable to remain on their property.

You may also be aware that the Preston City Council recently ignored pleas from residents, and paved the way for this mink farm to open in your neighborhood.

The instructions in this manual may represent your last hope in ridding this fur factory farm from your neighborhood. This guide offers the quickest solution to shut down a fur farm and drive it from your neighborhood forever. Since 1996, over 100 mink and fox farms have been raided using the step-by-step techniques in this guide. And as a result, many have had to shut down.

We are presenting this guide free of charge so you may protect your community from the threat to animals and your health posed by fur farms. And we hope that when you shut down this soon-to-open mink farm, you move on to drive from your community all chicken farms, pig farms, egg farms, and other prisons where animals are confined.

In November, the community of Craig, Colorado was in a similar situation to the one you face, with a mink farm poised to expand and the County Council failing to act. Facing the potential of living with a large mink farm indefinitely, individuals took it upon themselves to take action, raiding the farm overnight. The farm was forced to shut down.

We hope you can defeat this farm legally. And that if your sworn representatives fail to represent you, that you apply the methods in this guide and shut the proposed mink farm down forever.

Fur Farm Intelligence Unit
January 24th, 2014

The farm is not scheduled to open until 2016. There are four other mink farms in Preston which can be raided in the meantime.”