Communiques from Two ALF Actions that Shut Down A Fur Farm

Posted by Peter Young | 1 comment

Part thirteen in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

After the large response to yesterday’s article on how three people shut down an Iowa fur farm, I am following up with both communiques from those actions.

The first raid took place on October 16th, 2002 in Ellsworth, Iowa. All 2,000 animals were released.

The second raid took place just six days later. After fur farmer Scott Nelson boasted in the media that he had recaptured most of the animals, the Animal Liberation Front returned and re-liberated every mink. The farm subsequently shut down.

Communique #1

October 16th, 2001
Ellsworth, IA
Scott Nelson Mink Ranch
1,400 mink released. This raid was video taped and footage released to the media.

“The Animal Liberation Front is claiming responsibility for the liberation of 2000 mink from a fur farm in Jewell, IA (Tollman Rd.) in the late hours of October 16th, 2001. Every animal was released.

Fences surrounding the farm were cut away, every cage opened, and 2000 mink ran to freedom. These animals were kept 3 and 4 to a small wire mesh cage. Their rescue came at the final hour, only a month from a violent death in the pelting season.

Captive bred mink are closely related to their wild ancestors, and have been shown to retain survival instincts when released – ensuring these liberated prisoners will live and thrive. The fur industry will move to condemn this action, using misleading half-truths and boldface lies. They point their fingers with blood stained hands. There is no defensible case for the taking of innocent life. Furthermore, there is no defensible argument against militant intervention to prevent this atrocity. When mink are no longer kept 4 to a small wire cage, when chickens are no longer kept packed in battery cages, when we stop calling dead animals food, when the blood stops spilling – these actions outside the law will no longer be needed. Until then, we will be tearing up fences, breaking down walls, and opening cages to free the animals. Terrorism against non-human animals will be met with liberation.

In this struggle for life against greed, compassion over sadism, our only recourse is to ignore laws and risk our freedom to save lives. Were you in a cage, whose side would you be on?

A.L.F.”

Communique #2

October 23rd, 2001
Ellsworth, IA
Scott Nelson Mink Ranch

“10/16/2001 A.L.F. liberated 2000 mink at Scott Nelson Mink
Ranch in Ellsworth, Iowa

10/23/2001 A.L.F. liberates all recaptured mink at Scott Nelson
Mink Ranch in Ellsworth, Iowa

The first time we visited Scott Nelson Mink Ranch in Ellsworth, Iowa we opened every cage on the property. We intended to close the place down; unfortunately some of the mink were recaptured.

To demonstrate our complete seriousness regarding the freedom of these animals and contempt for the people responsible for these horrible places we again visited the fur farm and opened every cage on the property. We demand these mink are allowed to remain free.

A.L.F.”

This is the thirteenth of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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