I’ll be speaking this Friday, November 11th, at the Vermont Law School Animal Law Symposium with Odette Wilkins (Equal Justice Alliance) and law professor Pamela Vesilind. If you’re in or around Vermont, please come by. Here is the info:
Animal Law Symposium
“Is Green the new Red”
Punishing Protest, Criminalizing Speech in Environmental and Animal Activism
November 11, 2011
Yates Hall, Vermont Law School
4pm – 6pm
Students will have the opportunity to learn about the various legal, legislative and grassroots issues in the field of animal law while enjoying a delicious vegan dinner. This year’s speaker will be presenting topics concerning the restrictions animal rights activism. The speakers will be:
Odette Wilkens
Executive Director of Equal Justice Alliance
Odette will speak about the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (“AETA”). She will explain when it was enacted, what this act is about and what restrictions it places on animal rights activism. She will also speak about grassroots movements to repeal and fix this act.
Pamela Vesilind
Assistant Professor of Law at Vermont Law School
Pamela has presented on limitations on free expression in animal rights advocacy. She will speak about these issues on the state level, as well as agricultural gag laws which make protesting illegal.
Peter Young
Animal Rights Activist
Peter is a veteran animal activist who served two years in federal prison for rescuing thousands of animals from fur farms across the country. After being wanted by the FBI for seven years, Young was one of the first people prosecuted for “animal enterprise terrorism.”
Attendance is limited to the first 50 people who sign up. This event is co-sponsored by ELS and NLG.”
New URL and website now live: Animal Liberation Frontline.com.
Voice of the Voiceless was given a much needed overhaul, and has relaunched as “Animal Liberation Frontline”.
I started Voice of the Voiceless in mid-2009 as an afterthought to satisfy what I felt was an unfilled niche: detailed stories on the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and related activity, above and beyond just reporting on ALF actions. While Bite Back and the Animal Liberation Press Office covered the actions perfectly, there was a lot of related news that never received an audience. When a raided fur farm was reported as closing, there was nowhere to read of it. When the nation’s sole Slim Jim factory mysteriously exploded, it escaped the attention of the animal rights movement entirely. These were the stories this site was created for.
As the audience for Voice of the Voiceless increased, it quickly outgrew its name and design. The original URL (voiceofthevoiceless.org) was chosen in haste, after the name of my favorite 90s straight edge Hardcore compilation (released on Smorgasbord Records in 1991). It presented a lot of confusion and was difficult to remember accurately the first time (Voices of the Voiceless? Voice for the Voiceless?). Not to mention the URL hurt the site in search engine rankings, not making clear to Google (or anyone) what the content was about. The new SEO-friendly URL leaves no ambiguity.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be rolling out a stand-alone Warcry Communications website, where all 5 Warcry books will be available for purchase, as well as other projects worth supporting, like Bold Native, prisoner support merch, and more.
Send any feedback or suggestions to the new email: peter@animalliberationfrontline.com.
Two arrested at an Iowa mink farm released on bail, face new felony charge
After 16 days, Kellie Marshall and Victor Vandoren were released from jail on bail last week. They were arrested near the Circle K fur farm in Sioux City, Iowa. Police allege the two attempted to cut the fence of the farm and were interrupted by the fur farmer in the act.
At their most recent court date, the state of Iowa added a new felony charge of (in legal shorthand) “ANIMAL FACILITY-DESTRUCT OF PROP/INJURY TO ANIMAL”. However the media, from day one of this case, has been unable to agree if any animals were actually released in the incident, with one paper reporting Victor Vandoren is charged with “releasing an animal from an animal facility”.
They face a maximum 12-15 year sentence.
They currently face these charges: As of Thursday, their charges are now ANIMAL FACILITY-DESTRUCT OF PROP/INJURY TO ANIMAL (Class D Felony), BURGLARY 3RD DEGREE (Class D Felony), POSSESSION OF BURGLAR’S TOOLS (Aggravated Misdemeanor), and CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 4TH DEGREE (Misdemeanor).
The case could still go federal, as is most often the case with incidents the government can classify as “eco-terrorism”. If it takes such a turn, the two could be charged under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. However because the damages were small, AETA sentencing guidelines would make it unlikely the pair would face years in prison (though it is possible). It has also been speculated the case may remain at the state level because the two would actually face more time than if prosecuted federally (federal crimes, generally, carry much stiffer sentences).
The two are trying to raise money for lawyers to fight these serious charges. Visit the Support Kellie and Victor support site to learn how you can donate.
On September 10, Chris Lagergren was arrested at gunpoint in Key Largo by Sgt. Javier Ortiz — an officer with a history of misconduct and brutality. His crimes included taking pictures of pilot whales at the Marine Mammal Conservancy and allegedly tampering with a fence. He was charged with three misdemeanors: 2 counts of Tresspass and 1 count of Criminal Mischief.
A bombshell was dropped in court today when prosecutors seemingly pulled a felony count out of thin air: under the Florida Animal Enterprise Protection Act, he was charged under Statute is 828.42 “Animal enterprise disruption”. Although an arraignment date has not been set, Chris now faces three separate trials in the Circuit Courts and, possibly, 7 years if convicted.
It is interesting to note that the prosecutors offered no further evidence or grounds upon which this charge is predicated. But, clearly, Florida prosecutors are determined to make an example of Chris and, therefore, it is incumbent upon every one of us to make sure he has an adequate and effective defense team.
When the state targets one of us, they target all of us.
But Chris is also a personal friend and an activist that the animals cannot afford to lose. Please continue to contribute to his legal expenses.
Mysterious break-in and vandalism at an animal market in New York.
Police are search for an unknown person caught on tape breaking into a kosher animal dealer in Lackawanna, New York. According to police, the individual broke through a glass door, and spent nearly two hours inside. Owners say the individual spent a “significant” amount of time trying to access the animals. Several chickens were said to have been let out of cages.
While releasing animals inside of a building (domesticated animals no less) would suggest this was not an Animal Liberation Front action, the owner did report a significant amount of damage to the building and nothing stolen, so an animal liberation motive cannot be ruled out.
According to the owner, around this time last year the market experienced a similar break-in. In that incident, several sheep were released from their pens and allowed to roam inside the building.
View a news report and surveillance footage from the break-in below.
The notorious fur industry researcher and ALF-target John Gorham dies at age 88.
In a coordinated 1991 attack, the Animal Liberation Front broke into one office and two animal holding facilities at Washington State University, liberating six mink, seven coyotes, and ten mice. The office of John Gorham was also broken into, with documents related to the fur industry taken and others destroyed. Damages in the three-pronged raid totaled $150,000.
The Animal Liberation Front, in their communique, stated the target of the raid was fur industry mink researcher John Gorham, who Fur Rancher Magazine once called “one of the world’s leading researchers in fur farm diseases”. On his passing, the Fur Commission USA stated his “contribution to the North American mink industry is unsurpassed.”
While the ALF raid dealt a blow, the mink research that Gorham oversaw still continues at Washington State University. The best available information the secretive mink research program can be read in The Blueprint fur farm list (download here).
It is unfortunate Gorham did not live to see the day the Animal Liberation Front returned and shut down his sick operation for good.
University fears Animal Liberation Front raids on 10th anniversary of Barry Horne’s death.
Rats liberated by the ALF from nearby University of Iowa
Iowa State University campus police have issued an alert for all possible Animal Liberation Front targets on campus to be vigilant on the anniversary of former ALF prisoner Barry Horne’s death. The possible targets were named as: the meat lab, rodeo, Office of Responsible Research and Veterinary College.
A spokesperson pointed out the university had received no direct threats. The alert has all the appearance of police attempting to use false flag terrorism alerts to increase the appearance they are “fighting terrorism” (when no ALF raid happens, credit the “intelligence analysis” of the police and vigilance of animal researchers).
Police encouraged everyone who works at animal research labs on campus to:
*question people who look lost or out of place,
*keep doors closed
*be careful in hiring people and,
*not loan out keys or swipe cards for strangers
According to the alert, faculty and staff should also watch out for letters bombs. The email said if a person receives a suspicious letter, he or she should not touch it and the person should call campus security and leave the area.
Animal Liberation Front defaces vehicle of HLS client Vice President
In a communique received this week by the Animal Liberation Press Office, the Animal Liberation Front took credit for using spray paint, paint stripper and etching paste to deface the home and automobile of a vice-president of Aptium Oncology, a subsidiary of HLS-client AstraZeneca.
The full communique reads:
“On the night of October 27, the ALF decided to help Michele Bollinger, VP of Business Development and Consulting for Aptium Oncology, get into the Halloween spirit. We showed up at the house she shares with her husband Jeremy at [redacted] Pelham Ave [Los Angeles] and redecorated her walls and vehicle, with the aid of a little bit of red spraypaint, stripper, and etching paste. The ALF wants to let all the kids in the neighborhood know about the house of horrors that Michele and Aptium, as an AstraZeneca subsidiary, support at Huntingdon Life Sciences. We are so close to shutting this hellhole down for good, let’s make it happen by hitting AstraZeneca where it hurts. Get out there and get active!”
Exclusive photos inside the Palmer Erickson fur farm where over 1,000 animals were liberated last week
On October 10th, 2011, a person or persons unknown opened cages at a mink and fox farm in Jewell, Iowa; releasing 1,200 to 1,500 animals.
I’m posting here for the first time photos taken inside this farm. These were submitted anonymously during the research phase of the Fur Farm Intelligence Project (read more about the project here). The exact date of the photos is unknown, but they were obtained in 2009.
The farm is located along railroad tracks approximately one mile south of downtown Jewell, Iowa (pop. 1,239). About two miles northwest of the farm is a second mink farm, the Isebrands fur farm, raided by the ALF in 1999. Also located in downtown Jewell is the Hawkeye Mink Cooperative, a feed supplier and pelt processor for Iowa fur farms. Jewell has been been hit hard by Animal Liberation Front (and other unclaimed) actions since 1999, with four mink releases and a break-in at the Hawkeye feed supplier (see “how it was done” article in Bite Back #14).
These photos show the mink and fox imprisoned by Palmer Erickson at his Jewell fur farm. Last week, over 1,000 animals were spared the fate of those shown here by anonymous individuals who released them to freedom.
Attempted burglary charges dropped against two arrested at mink farm + new details about the arrest
In a positive development, attempted burglary charges against two people arrested at an Iowa mink farm last week were inexplicably dropped. Kellie Rose Marshall, 21, and Victor Vanorden, 24, still each face a charge of possession of burglar’s tools, a misdemeanor, and a charge of second-degree criminal mischief, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Vanorden also faces a misdemeanor charge of carrying a weapon.
The pair were arrested a the rear of the farm late on the night of October 10th, where police found several holes cut in the chicken wire fence. They also found maps, hiking equipment, police scanners, a machete and more than $700 cash in a vehicle parked next to a gate behind the property.
The media has been unable to agree on whether any animals were released the night the pair were arrested, with some reports stating a small number of animals had been released but recaptured.
In 1997, approximately 5,000 mink and more than 100 silver foxes were released from the same farm.
In my non-lawyer opinion, it is likely the FBI is looking at filing federal charges against the pair. When there have been arrests, most “crimes” fitting the Animal Liberation Front model has been prosecuted federally. The case against Alex Hall and William Viehl included an Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act charge for a similar “attempted raid” at a fur farm in Utah. No animals were released in that attempted raid, and the pair were merely pulled over by police in proximity of the farm.
As I heard repeated often by pre-trial prisoners in jail: “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst”.
Major spike in Animal Liberation Front actions: three fur farm raids and a fur company arson in two weeks
In the latest action in a huge offensive against the fur industry, over 1,000 animals were released from Miller’s Mink Ranch in Gifford, Washington. In a communique, animal liberators took credit, and stated they opened approximately 75% of the cages at the farm. Breeding records were destroyed, and three mink were taken off-site and released into the wilderness.
This is the latest action in a major spike of ALF activity over the last two weeks, with three fur farm raids, one attempted raid in Iowa, an arson against a fur wholesaler in Idaho, and two massive fish releases in California (which may or may not have been the work of animal liberationists).
There has not been a wave of mink releases on this level since 1998. In a ten day period between August 18th and 28th of that year, five fur farms were hit and over 13,000 animals released. I believe that had this momentum been sustained, the fur industry would have possibly been eradicated in the US in a few short years. This recent surge in activity, if maintained, could present just such a threat.
Even the Fur Commission USA is being uncharacteristically transparent in its concern over the surge in actions, stating –
“Until this September, not a single incident of any significance had been reported this year by the US fur industry… But now there’s a major blip on the graph.”
This is the 11th reported fur farm release in Washington since 1996.
The fight to save the animals on US fur farms before pelting season continues.
– Peter Young
The full communique from the action reads:
“In the early morning hours of October 12th, we entered Miller’s Mink Ranch on Addy-Gifford Road in Washington, and took down every breeder card in one of the two large, main sheds. We opened approximately 3/4 of the cages, many of which had more than one animal, freeing more than a thousand animals. We also took 3 individuals and released them at different locations.
We chose to do this not because we believe that humans wearing fur is inherently wrong. Rather we think that the callous disrespect with which the fur industry treats the animals is despicable. The fact that it has become and ‘industry’ for the vanity and fashion of the rich is what we hate. In the Pacific NW the fur industry represents more than just animal abuse and species-ism. Trapping, killing, and skinning fur bearing mammals for profit was one of the first steps of westward expansion and manifest destiny in this area. It was one of the first parts of the colonial process that decimated many Native people and cultures. The fact that the fashion and fur industries point to Native people wearing fur as their justification of the factories of death is inexcusable. These people responsible have no personal or cultural ties to the native people who were here first, in fact, they are a part of the system that destroyed their way of life. The current way of ‘farming’ mink, fox, bobcat, and lynx does not bear any similarity or have any hint of the same respect for life and nature that the native tribes and cultures around here have.
We are not asking for better conditions for farmed mink, for a more humane way of caging wild beings. Mink are fiercely territorial animals in the wild, with territories that can be miles long, usually along waterfronts where they can swim and hunt fish and small mammals. This freedom is their birthright as wild creatures. The approximately 2 square feet in which Miller’s Mink Ranch cages two and sometimes three mink for the whole of their lives is unspeakable. It is unfortunately the standard for mink farms the world over. The agony and frustration at never feeling more than wire under paws that were meant for swimming and pursuing prey can only be wondered at. Some mink’s fervor for freedom is so great they bite the wires of their cages until they break their teeth.
We would like to dedicate this act to every rebel warrior who died nameless and whose rage and bravery went unseen and unknown, to all who struggle against oppression, even with no light at the end of the tunnel in sight.”
Two arrested attempting to break into a Sioux City, Iowa mink and fox farm
Updated 12:20pm with jail address to send letters of support
Little information is available, but local media is reporting two “animal activists” have been arrested at a fur farm in Sioux City, Iowa. The arrests were made October 10th, just three days after 1,200 mink were released from the Palmer Erickson fur farm in Jewell, Iowa, approximately 3 hours away.
Arrested were Kellie Marshall, 29, and Victor Vandoren, 24, both of Austin, Texas.
Police captured the pair after they allegedly cut into a fence and “tried to free some of the animals” at the fur farm. Police used a K-9 dog and discovered the two dressed in black. They were charged with 2nd Degree Criminal Mischief, Attempted Burglary and Possession of Burglary Tools.
Although the media has not yet named the farm, I know from personal experience the farm in question is the Circle K Fur Farm. I was charged for the release of 5,000 mink and 100 fox from the same farm in 1998. These are the details of the farm, from The Blueprint fur farm list:
Circle K Fur Farm
3701 Memorial Drive
Sioux City, IA 51104
Phone: (712) 252-2202
Owner: Steven Krage
Status: Confirmed open, 2009.
Species: Mink & fox.
Notes: Approximately 5,000 mink & 100 fox.
Strangely, the arrests of October 10th have received very little attention in the media (as of this writing), and the event somehow escaped mention in the media entirely until a full three days after the incident.
Letters of support
Letters of support and donation for their commissary fund can be sent to:
Kellie Marshall / Victor Vandoren
Woodbury County Jail
PO Box 3083
Sioux City, Iowa 51102
Letters must have a return address. Please write them letters of support today, and let them know the outside world knows they are in jail and are supported.
Walter Bond unapologetic at Utah sentencing, receives 7 years for two Animal Liberation Front arsons
Today, Walter Bond was sentenced in Salt Lake City to an additional 87 months for two more Animal Liberation Front arsons, to run consecutive to his current 5-year sentence. Altogether, Bond will serve 12 years for setting fire to three animal abuse targets:
Sheepskin Factory
Denver, Colorado
Set on fire April 30th
$500,000 damages.
Tiburon
Sandy, Utah
Set on fire July 2, 2010
Approx. $80,000 in damages.
A few notes from those who were present:
*Approximately 10 supporters were in attendance at the hearing.
*Someone associated with Tiburon testified they sustained $80K in damages, a much greater amount than previously reported.
*Walter was said to be relaxed and smiling at his supporters.
Bond was indicted by a federal grand jury after admitting to his brother that he set the fires. The conversation was secretly recorded as part of an ATF sting, and Bond was subsequently arrested and charged with all three of the ALF “Lone Wolf”-claimed arsons.
Bond remained unapologetic at his sentencing. When asked if he had any final words to the court before being sentenced, he made the following statement:
Walter Bond’s Statement to the Court in Utah
“I’m here today because of the arsons I committed at the Tandy Leather Factory in Salt Lake City and the Tiburon restaurant in (more…)
