After ALF Action, New Bill Targets Stockyard Arsons

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California senate proposes tougher penalties for ALF arsons at stockyards.

After the Animal Liberation Front set 14 trucks on fire at the Harris Ranch stockyards in January, Senator Anthony Cannella introduced Senate Bill 1302, which would give prosecutors the power to file aggravated arson charges — rather than simple arson — for arsons of animal abuser’s property.
Damages in the January arson was estimated at $2 million. In a communique, the Animal Liberation Front took credit.

Under existing state law, a person is guilty of aggravated arson if they intentionally set a fire with the intent to hurt or kill somebody, or that causes losses in excess of $6.5 million. Although the ALF adheres to a strict code of not injuring human or non-human life, the law would put Animal Liberation Front actions in the same legal category as those who set fires with the intent to kill.

This continues the post-9-11 trend of characterizing activists who damage property or rescue animals as terrorists, and assigning false motives to those whose only intention is to save animals.

The legislation was reportedly introduced at the request of the dairy industry.

The proposed law specifically targets fires which are set at stockyards. In passed, any fire set  “with the intent to disrupt the commercial operations of a feedlot or livestock salesyard,” and causes in excess of $100,000 in damage, will qualify as aggravated arson.

The difference between arson and aggravated arson are the prison sentences for anyone arrested. Someone convicted of aggravated arson can face a possible sentence of 10 years to life. Simple arson involving property has a range of prison time between 16 months and three years.

The bill comes in response to the January arson in which incendiary devices were placed under 14 trucks at Harris Ranch, a large stockyard located on I-5 in the California central valley.

In undefeatable logic, the senator who authored the bill stated this about the Animal Liberation Front:

“They purposely act to try to disrupt the flow of food to these animals, which is animal cruelty.”

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Animal Liberation Activists Burn 14 Trucks at Meat Company

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Major arson attack at a California feedlot.

Update, 1-11-12 @ 10.50am: The original post mistakenly credited this action to the Animal Liberation Front. In fact the ALF did not take credit for the fire. This action was claimed by anonymous activists who chose to not claim the arson under any title. There could be serious reasons for such decisions, and it is important these actions are represented with accuracy. – Peter Young

In an anonymous statement sent to the Animal Liberation Press Office, anonymous animal rights activists took credit for setting fire to 14 trucks at Harris Ranch, one of the country’s largest feedlots, located in Coalinga, California.

According to reports, the arson occurred in a fenced-off area early Sunday. A communique took credit for the fire Monday, and the feedlot confirmed that 14 trucks were burned.

Also known as “Cowschwitz”, Harris Ranch (also called Harris Farms) sends up to 250,000 cows to slaughter annually.

Details of the fire

The fire started just before 4 a.m. in the truck storage area at Highway 145 and Interstate 5. Several tractor-trailer rigs were said to be in flames when fire trucks arrived. It took firefighters about 45 minutes to put out the blaze.

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Fur Company Set on Fire in Idaho

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In the second Northwest fur industry action in 24 hours, an Idaho fur company is set on fire

In an anonymous communique, activists claimed responsibility for drilling a hole in the wall of Rocky Mountain Fur Company Monday morning, pouring flammable liquid inside, and using “ignition devices” to set two buildings on fire.

It was the second major fur industry action in 24 hours. Read about the previous night’s fur farm liberation in Astoria, Oregon here.

The fur company, located just off I-84 in Caldwell, Idaho, sells trapping supplies. It also functions as a raw pelt buyer for trappers. It is located a half mile from the Harris Mink Farm, one of Idaho’s largest fur farms (view satellite image here).

The arson did not destroy the building, according to reports. Damages were estimated by police to be approximately $10,000. The owner says the business will remain open.

The full communique reads:

“”In the early morning hours of September 26th, a visit was paid to the Rocky Mountain Firework & Fur Company, a shop that (quite foolishly) sells both highly flammable and explosive toys, and the chemically-treated skins of thousands of tortured animals (among some other nasty things, like trapping supplies). A hole was drilled into their storage space, and several gallons of fuel were pumped through, as well as multiple other charges being set beneath an adjoining structure. Ignition devices were set to finish up our work, once we were safely on our way. By oppressing innocent life, you’ve lost your rights. We’ve come to take you down a notch. Stay in business, and we’ll be back. Yours truly, The Arson Unit”

– Peter Young

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Fire & Explosions Rock Former Mink Farm

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Fire and explosions tear through the twice-raided Ylipelto Mink Farm in Oregon

After two successful raids, activists may have once again visited the Ylipelto Mink Farm in Oregon – this time to burn it down.

In the early hours of July 27th, a boat, car, two forklifts, front-end loader, and a barn were all damaged by fire. investigators have not yet ruled it arson, but have noted the farm has been targeted by the Animal Liberation Front in the past.

Owner Henry Pelto stated he awoke at 3 am to the sound of explosions, and found several pieces of equipment on fire.

The owner revealed new information after the fire: after being targeted twice by activists, the Ylipelto farm shut down in December 2009. While the there may be numerous contributing factors in the closure, it may be largely or wholly credited to the A.L.F.

This marks the second Oregon fur farm to apparently shut down after an A.L.F. raid. The S&N Fur Farm in Scio, Oregon was found to be empty in a summer 2009 investigation as part of the Fur Farm Intelligence Project (although there is conflicting evidence indicating the farm may still be open, or reopening in the near future). That farm was raided by the A.L.F. in September, 2008.

News of the Ylipelto farm’s closure sheds doubt on police claims the fire may be the work of activists. Because a closed farm is an unlikely A.L.F. target, an insurance fraud motive should be suspected by investigators. Whoever is behind the fire, it would appear unlikely activists would target a closed mink farm, unless there was strong reason to believe the farm would reopen again in the future.

Watch TV news coverage of the fire here:

The Ylipelto Mink Farm has been the site of two mink liberations in recent years. The first occurred in October 2008, where 1,500 mink were released. The raid was claimed by the “Vegan Straight Edge”.

The second raid occurred October 4th, 2009, when 300 mink were released. At 1:23 AM that morning, a farmer reported to police that someone was “releasing her mink”, indicating the liberators were spotted in the act, but escaped un-arrerested. No group took credit for the raid.

Astoria is the largest mink farming town in Oregon, home to five known mink farms (and another possible farm that is unconfirmed).

No claim of responsibility has yet been made for the fire, and investigators have not yet ruled it arson.

The A.L.F. continues to strike major blows to the Oregon fur industry, which has already seen seven fur farm raids – and now, possibly its third A.L.F. arson.

– Peter Young

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Leather Factory Fire Ruled Arson

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Salt Lake City fire investigators rule arson in fire at the Tandy Leather Factory.

After a message board post broke the story of an arson at the Tandy Leather Factory store in Salt Lake City, fire investigators have ruled it arson.

The post stated someone broke in to the store, spread an accelerant up and down the aisles, and set the store on fire. The store sustained damages that reportedly closed the store for at least a few days. View pictures of the store post-arson here.

A Salt Lake City fire department spokesperson stated:

We don’t know who. We don’t know what the motive is — nothing left behind, or nothing sent to us since then that claims responsibility or claims a motive.

To date, no underground animal liberation group has claimed responsibility, and the motive for the fire remains unknown.

– Peter Young

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Arson Attack Closes Utah Leather Store

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Mysterious break-in and arson reported at Tandy Leather Factory store in Salt Lake City

Sometime last week, the Tandy Leather Factory in Salt Lake City was the target of an apparent arson attack. This mysterious, (so far) unclaimed arson comes just weeks after at a similar unclaimed arson at the Sheepskin Factory store in Denver. The arson appears to have at least temporarily shut down the store, located at 1107 South State Street in Salt Lake City. As of yet, neither the Animal Liberation Front nor other animal liberation group has taken credit.

According to a post on a gun-talk forum, an employee of another Tandy location stated that someone broke into the Salt Lake City store, spread an “accelerant”, and set the store on fire. The quote from the post:

I went to the Tandy store in West Valley, and the owner there said that someone had broken into the SLC store (his store was unharmed) and spread “an accelerant” up and down the aisles, especially over where they store their leather.

Local media have not yet picked up the story of the arson.

Local activists visited the location and confirmed the building was closed, boarded up, and had clearly sustained fire damage. A sign on the door read “Closed for fire clean up”.

The following are pictures taken of the burned building:

This is the latest in a long line of actions at animal exploitation targets for which no claim of responsibility by activists is made. The true motive of this action can not be known, but a store selling the skins of animals would be a legitimate target for the A.L.F.

This is the second Tandy leather store to be targeted in an arson attack. In June 1995, the Animal Liberation Front set fire to the Tandy Leather in Murray, UT, causing $300,000 damages.

– Peter Young

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Arson Device Delivered to San Diego Vivisector

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La Jolla, CA: In an anonymous communique received by the Animal Liberation Press Office yesterday, the Animal Liberation Front claims they placed an incendiary device in the vehicle of vivisector Howard S. Fox of Scripps Research Institute. According to the Press Office, Fox’s work includes addicting non-human primates to methamphetamines, infecting them with the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) allegedly to imitate AIDS, and then killing them in his laboratory.

The communique from the A.L.F. reads:

“On the night of March 4th, 2010. We planted an incendiary device in the exhaust pipe of California Vivisectionist Howard Fox. Hopefully this action will help Mr. Fox decide to pursue a different career choice. The Animal Liberation Front”

As of yet, it appears the media has not picked up this story.

– Peter Young

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