Inside an A.L.F. Investigation: FBI Documents Expose Evidence in A.L.F. Case

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An inside look at the FBI evidence which led to indictments for a Utah Animal Liberation Front mink release

In March 2009, William “BJ” Viehland Alex Hall were charged with Animal Enterprise Terrorism for the release of 650 mink from the McMullin Fur Farm in South Jordan, UT; and an attempted raid at Blackridge Farms in Hyrum UT. While their case is well-known, little has been written of the evidence which led to their indictment.

After Viehl’s sentencing, I was allowed to view FBI paperwork in their case, outlining the evidence against them.It offers crucial lessons on FBI investigations, and the errors activists make which can lead to their arrest.

In the paperwork, I learned the investigation involved informants, cell phone records, search warrants, and more.

This article uses the case against Alex Hall and William Viehl as a case study in the anatomy of an Animal Liberation Front indictment: the evidence, and the lessons learned.

The Evidence

#1: Car key left at the scene

The most damning evidence was a car key found in the grass at the McMullin Fur Farm the morning after the raid. The key was later matched to Viehl’s vehicle. Viehl would later say the key had fallen from a shallow pocket while he was releasing mink.

#2: Cell phone records

The second most damning evidence against Viehl – and nearly the only evidence against Hall – is cell phone records placing them (or more accurately, their phones) near the mink farm in South Jordan around the time of the raid. Cell phone company records allegedly recorded the signals unique to each phone “pinging” off nearby towers before, during, and after the time of the mink release.

It should be well known at this point that every cell phone regularly broadcasts a signal which pinpoints the location of a phone. This leaves a nearly permanent record of the times and places of one’s travels (or at least the location of one’s phone). Cell phones also function as roving microphones, which can be turned on remotely and can pick up all conversation within earshot of a phone’s mouthpiece – even when the phone is turned off.

#3: Informants

An informant named “Sarah”, believed to be planted in the Salt Lake City animal rights movement by the FBI, was revealed in the paperwork. She attended animal rights meetings, protests, and the Confronting Cruelty conference in the spring of 2008. Paperwork refers to her only as “CHS (Confidential Human Source)”. However, those familiar with her were able to determine her identity from details in the paperwork. Salt Lake City activists remember her as asking a lot of inappropriate questions, and taking extensive notes at meetings. FBI paperwork shows she provided information on numerous individuals in the local animal rights movement.

I can personally verify the existence of “Sarah”: she befriended me at an animal rights conference under the pretext of seeking help for starting a dog rescue in Guatemala. “Sarah” would later takeme on an all-expenses paid weekend trip to Moab, Utah in the fall of 2008.

Most FBI documents covering “Sarah”‘s work contains names and personal information on activists and are too sensitive to release publicly, but three of the documents can be viewed here:

“Confidential Human Source” Document #1

“Confidential Human Source” Document #2

“Confidential Human Source” Document #3

At least two other individuals consented to interviews with the FBI. The information obtained did not appear to aid the FBI’s case, but that in no way mitigates the seriousness of forfeiting your constitutional rights by talking to law enforcement.

#4: Being ID’d near mink farms

The pair had been stopped by police near two Utah mink farms in the weeks following the McMullin release.

Late one night in October 2008, a Hyrum, UT mink farmer who had stayed up all night to watch her farm (after two mink releases had occurred in the previous 6 weeks), followed a car she believed was suspicious. She claims the car pulled over after a short while, and an occupant approached her asking why she was following them. The farmer called police. Viehl and Hall were allegedly ID’d as the occupants.

Two weeks before 7,000 mink were released from the Lodder farm in Kaysville, Hall and Viehl were allegedly stopped by police near the farm. The officer alleged there had been burglaries in the area, and believed the two were casing homes. A subsequent search of the vehicle allegedly turned up ski masks and wire cutters.

#5: Warrantless bank record search

Without a warrant, Viehl’s bank turned over bank records showing (again, allegedly) Viehl hired a locksmith to open his vehicle in the days after the McMullin raid. Because a car key fitting Viehl’s vehicle had been found at the scene, this was used by the prosecutor to further indicate guilt.

#6: Vehicle search

The FBI obtained a warrant to search a vehicle associated with Viehl. The key left at the mink farm was allegedly found to match the vehicle.

Conclusion

In the end, the car key found at the scene and cell phone record placing the phones near the farm the night of the raid provided the most incriminating evidence. The cell phone records are practically the only evidence being used in the (still pending) case against Alex Hall.

While evidence left at a scene and cell phone records cast one under a serious cloud of suspicion, they alone do not conclusively place the defendant at the scene. Evidence such as keys can be planted by the actual culprits to incriminate others, and cell phones being near a crime scene do not prove their owners were. However the supplemental, circumstantial evidence of the pair being ID’d near mink farms may have proven to be the deal-breaker in this case – or at least it provided much less wiggle-room in mounting a defense.

The indictment against William Viehl and Alex Hall is a combination of unfortunate errors and dumb luck on the part of fur farmers and the FBI. The evidence provides insight into the mechanics of FBI investigations, and how activists are apprehended for saving animals.

May future liberators learn from this case, and stay free to fight another night.

-Peter Young

William Viehl plead guilty to the McMullin Fur Farm liberation, and in February was sentenced to two years. At the time of this writing, he is in transit to California, where he will serve his time at a low security prison in Terminal Island. Check back soon for a mailing address.

Alex Hall has plead “not guilty” and is still fighting the charges, with cell phone records being the only substantial evidence against him.

Alex Hall
Inmate #2009-06304
Davis County Jail
800 West State St.
Farmington, UT 84025

Bold Native trailer premier – first fictionalized A.L.F. film

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(With the loss of computers, I am having to stack multiple updates. Please do not miss today’s important animal liberation prisoner update, just below this post)

Bold Native has received a tremendous amount of buzz in advance of its release. The film is a fictionalized A.L.F. story of a man being hunted by the government for animal liberation activity, attempting to orchestrate a massive multi-state action before being captured by the FBI. Most cast members are vegetarian or vegan, and the film is produced, directed, and edited by dedicated vegans.

I watched a sneak-preview of the film, and know this is going to take a special place in the movement’s history. While slated for a summer release, the trailer has just debuted. I think this one is going to be huge.

-Peter Young

Major Animal Liberation Prisoner Updates

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I would much prefer covering this important news more extensively, yet until the computers taken in the FBI raid are replaced, computer access is limited. So I will offer three animal liberation prisoner updates, with a brevity that does not match their significance:

Carrie Feldman is released

After four months in jail for refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating the University of Iowa A.L.F. action, Carrie Feldman has been released from jail. We hope she receives a heroes welcome.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune article

Scott and Carrie support site announcement

Lauren Gazzola of the SHAC 7 is released

After serving 3.5 years in prison as one of the SHAC 7, Lauren Gazzola has been released to a halfway house. News to celebrate. Welcome home. Only one SHAC 7 prisoner to go…

Letter from Lauren

Kevin Olliff pleads guilty

In what is sadly one of the most significant, and at the same time most undercovered cases right now, Kevin Olliff will plead “no contest” to charges related to protest activity. He admits nothing more than that he participated in home demonstrations against researchers and company executives, yet the press has erroneously labeled him a “member of the animal liberation front”. He faces up to 3 years in prison at his sentencing. More details to come.

LA Times story

Support Kevin site

Write Kevin a letter:

KEVIN OLLIFF, #1300931
TTCF 161 C-POD
450 BAUCHET ST.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

Video of “Vegetarian Myth” Author, Pied at Anarchist Bookfair

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Video of “Vegetarian Myth” author Lierre Keith being pied at the Anarchist Bookfair, meeting a much tamer fate than the animals whose killing she promotes:

Speciesism is totally analagous to sexism and racism. The message of this action is: there will be resistance to all promoters of speciesism masquerading as “radicals” and attempting to embed themselves in our movement. Lierre Keith: You have been shown the door.

FBI House Raid Update

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The site will be slow to be updated while we work to re-obtain the computers that were taken in yesterdays FBI raid of my home. In the meantime, the search warrant can be viewed here:

FBI search warrant, 3/15/10

Below is the full story from Green is the New Red.

***

FBI agents and law enforcement from multiple agencies have raided a well-known activist group house in Salt Lake City, Utah, today in connection with an investigation of Animal Liberation Front crimes in Iowa.

I just got off the phone with multiple housemates who were there witnessing the raid, and who were able to read the warrant. Details about all of this are still emerging, but at this point it is clear that the warrant was issued by the Southern District of Iowa, and authorizes the seizure of any books, pamphlets, computers and other materials tied to “animal enterprise terrorism.” [UPDATE: Here is copy of the warrant.]

Some background: In Minnesota, a graduate student named Scott DeMuth has been indicted on conspiracy charges under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. The charges are related to a 2004 raid by the Animal Liberation Front at the University of Iowa.

Another Minnesota activist, Carrie Feldman, has been jailed for refusing to testify about her political beliefs and political associations before a grand jury. Feldman was a teenager at the time of the ALF crime, and says the grand jury is clearly an attempt to harass and intimidate the activist community.

So how did the FBI end up in Utah? One of the housemates, Peter Young, is repeatedly mentioned by name in the warrant. Young was one of the first people prosecuted for “animal enterprise terrorism” in connection to fur farm raids in the late 90s. (His co-defendant Justin Samuel is also mentioned in the warrant). He served two years in prison, and has been living in Salt Lake City, speaking at colleges, and writing on his website, Animal Liberation Front-line. He is among the most vocal, public supporters of the ALF and direct action.

The only connection I can decipher between Young and the Iowa investigation is this: in an emergency motion filed against Scott DeMuth, to keep him in jail, the government calls DeMuth an “anarchist” and “domestic terrorist.” As evidence of this, they say he is an “associate” of Peter Young. As DeMuth’s faculty advisor has publicly explained, this is tied to his research as a graduate student.

There are about nine people living at the activist group house in Salt Lake. At least 15 computers were taken by the FBI, along with boxes of documents, notebooks, files, and address books. The house is well-known in the area as a gathering space for animal rights and other activists. No arrests have been made, and at this point it seems Iowa is being used as a pretext for a continued campaign of harassment and intimidation.

Among the items taken from the FBI’s terrorism raid: a postcard for Iowa 80, “the world’s largest truck stop.”

– Will Potter

FBI Raided My House Today

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Brief update:

This morning at 11:30am, approximately 8 FBI agents raided my house and executed a search warrant. The warrant was issued in southern district of Iowa. It called for confiscation of four categories of items related to “animal enterprise terrorism”.  The warrant also named several others who did not reside at the house.

Computers were taken in the raid. This site may be updated irregularly until new computers are obtained.

More information forthcoming as attorneys deem it relevant.

– Peter Young

Animal-Holocaust Denier Pied at Anarchist Book Fair

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Speech of anti-vegan antagonist shut down by masked pie throwers in San Francisco

While Animal Liberation Front-line focuses on exclusive content (vs. reposts), I am republishing the below article on yesterday’s pieing of non-human animal holocaust denier Lierre Keith, author of “The Vegetarian Myth”.

Predictably, the choir of opposition to this action so far is a collection of vegan regressors, “rewild” fetishists / weekend-warrior primitivists, and those who hide behind an “anything goes” neuvo-anarchist critique – all of which breed the culture of degeneracy and hedonistic caveman role-playing that give Lierre Keith her only audience.

A disrupted speech is trivial in comparison to the billions of deaths this woman promotes, but yesterday’s resistance to this death-merchant will undoubtedly give Keith some (vegan) “food for thought” while she travels the country, promoting the consumption of animals.

– Peter Young

Read the anonymous statement below:

***

“Bound Together Books and PM Press continue to try to prop up and foist veg*n antagonist Lierre Keith onto the radical community in the Bay Area. Today, at the 15th Annual San Francisco Anarchist Bookfair, where she was scheduled to be a featured speaker, Keith was served her just deserts for her obnoxious attacks on veg*ns in The Vegetarian Myth. She was pied in the middle of her speech in the main auditorium at the SF County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park.

The myriad logical fallacies and other personal, logical, and factual problems with Lierre Keith’s misanthropic book need not be reiterated here. A thorough debunking of her attack on veg*ns was posted on Indybay last June when Bound Together Books first invited her to speak about her book.

Lierre Keith’s Elaborate, Self-Congratulatory Excuse for Abandoning Veganism
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/06/12/18601536.php

If her book had been written as a good faith effort to start a discussion about the topics of vegetarianism and industrial agriculture, it certainly would not have evoked such a visceral reaction from veg*ns. But that’s not how Keith addressed the subject. She instead chose to rebuke her own former vegan self by verbally assaulting all veg*ns, calling them ignorant and child-like, sometimes based on nothing more than dishonest accounts of anonymous online comment threads or her own self-loathing.

Phony environmentalist omnivores like her buddy Derrick Jensen — who farcically claimed the “book saved my life” — might find the gratuitous attacks on veg*ns self-satisfying or validating, but the insults and invective directed against veg*ns have been taken, not surprisingly, quite personally by veg*ns everywhere who are aware of the book, sometimes by having had it thrown in their faces by those who mistakenly believe the book to be the last word on vegetarianism. And surely it was a reaction to these attacks that led the culprits of the pieing to feel compelled to take symbolic action against Lierre Keith at the very moment she was being held up as a paragon of radical thought by Bound Together Books at this year’s Anarchist Bookfair, normally a vegetarian-friendly venue.

Some will condemn the pieing as a useless symbolic action. Others will object to the breaking of decorum at the bookfair. Many of those who might condemn the action would not think twice about praising other symbolic direct actions, pieing or otherwise. It is doubtful if her book were “the anarchist myth” or “prison activist myth” that anyone present would do anything but cheer the action.

Some will undoubtedly argue that the pieing was an attack on free speech, but Keith has been afforded more speech than most people on the planet will ever be, courtesy of PM Press. In fact, she is profiting from the soap box she has been given to pretend she is a radical environmentalist who just happens to jet around the country to and from her home in rural Massachusetts. In a world where vegans and vegetarians are a definite minority, face constant bombardment with pro-meat messages our American cattle culture, and frequently have to deal with direct attacks from government, law enforcement, and multinational corporations that profit from the sale of factory-farmed meat and dairy, Ramsey Kanaan of PM Press, himself a long-time vegan, strangely chose to pile on with yet another attack on veg*ns, this time being especially traumatic in that it comes from the inside of the supposed radical environmental movement. (Was the book printed in part to curry favor with Derrick Jensen who now publishes through PM Press?) Through the Bound Together collective, of which Ramsey Kanaan is a member, Lierre Keith has been asked to speak in the Bay Area repeatedly. The mean-spirited book and these speaking engagements are largely one-way conversations with Keith dominating the dialogue.

But today, anonymous masked peoples stood up and refused to allow PM Press and Bound Together to yet again try to cram Lierre Keith down our throats. They stood up for many who have suffered silently, without a voice, since the publication of her book. We don’t want what you are serving.”

Liberated Mink Survive in the Wild, Study Shows

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Study shows released mink survive in the wild.

Laying to waste fur industry claims that liberated mink do not survive in the wild, a recent study published in  April 2009 studies the survival rate of captive-bred mink when released. The study, done in partnership with Oxford University, tracked the survival of released mink over eight years. The study found that none of the released mink died directly due to lack of survival skills.

For years, anecdotal evidence and quotes from wildlife biologists supported the possibility of high survival rates for released mink. For example, view this article on a (now removed) blog post from a Utah woman finding a mink in her yard near the McMullin Fur Farm, 18 months after it was raided by the Animal Liberation Front.

The Mink Release Study

The study (viewed here), is titled “The survival of captive-born animals in restoration programmes – Case study of the endangered European mink Mustela lutreola“.

The study set out to answer the following questions:

1. What is the survival rate of released mink and how does it
change with time since release?
2. Do age, sex of an individual, and the conditions in which it is
kept prior to release, affect its subsequent survival in the wild?
3. What are causes of mortality?

A few of the factors which could mitigate the relevance of this study are:

*The study was done with endangered European mink, not the commonly farmed North American mink.
*The study did not specify how many generations the mink had been bred in captivity (though, as reprinted below, it concluded this was not relevant to survival).

Mink Release Study Highlights

*”There was no evidence that the number of generations for which the lineage of the released individuals had been bred in captivity had any effect on survival.”

*Released mink survived for “up to 39 months”

*”The main cause of death was other carnivores and raptors, although this broad categorization may conceal a diversity of fatal scenarios.”

*(Only)”…three deaths were caused by humans: one was shot, the second was hit by a car and the third was beaten to death when venturing into a farmyard.”

*A quarter of the released European mink died within the first ten days. Survival decreased by half in 38 days and then stabilized….Overall, we conclude that mink adapt to the wild c. 1–1.5 months after release.”

*No mink were found to have died (directly) due to lack of survival skills.

*”The results show that genetically managed, long-term breeding programs within the zoo community can be a source of individuals for re-introductions”.

The study includes graphs charting survival rates and more.

Fur Industry Lies

In the wake of mink liberations by the A.L.F., the fur industry’s stock-response, without exception, is that released mink will not survive in the wild. They are likely to have no comment on this recent study, which proves these soundbites to be false.

Conclusion

Now we have a study published in partnership with a major university, in a credible academic journal, proving what the Animal Liberation Front and critical thinkers have believed for years: farm-raised mink retain their wild instincts, and when released, can reassimilate successfully into their native habitat.

– Peter Young

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

8 Reasons the Iowa A.L.F. Investigation is a Fraud

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Five years after the Animal Liberation Front raids the University of Iowa, the government launches a prosecution that is a fraud on its face

In late-2004, morning workers arrived at the Spence Laboratories to find $450,000 in damage to equipment and 401 animals missing. Graffiti left at the scene read “Science Not Sadism” and “Free The Animals”. In a long communique, the Animal Liberation Front (A.L.F.) took credit.

Just before the 5-year statute of limitations was to expire (most federal crimes have an SoL of 5 years), two Minneapolis activists were subpoenaed to testify to a grand jury in Davenport, IA. It soon became clear the grand jury was investigating the University of Iowa A.L.F. raid. Both were jailed after refusing to testify. Soon after, one of the two – Scott DeMuth – was indicted for Animal Enterprise Terrorism.

Those I have spoken to close to the case awe at the bizarre, unprofessional, and legally unsound nature of the entire prosecution. As one person told me: “When all the facts come out, this DA is going to be very embarrassed”.

All indicators are that the government rushed through an indictment they knew would not stand, in order to freeze the clock on the statute of limitations and buy time to build a more solid case. The case has all the markings of a desperate and unconstitutional prosecution motivated by an attempt to save face after 5 years of failing to apprehend the Animal Liberation Front.

Eight Reasons the Iowa A.L.F. Investigation is a Fraud

Feldman was 15 at the time of the raid

Carrie Feldman, incarcerated for refusing testimony to the grand jury, was a 15 year old sophmore in high school at the time of the raid. Yet a judge has stated the government admitted…

…it sought Ms. Feldman’s testimony because it believes she had knowledge of “a break-in of the University of Iowa Spence Laboratories in November, 2004.

And in a dissenting opinion on Carrie Feldman’s (denied) motion for release, a judge said:

…I am concerned by the necessary implication raised in this matter that the government is seeking Ms. Feldman’s testimony for the sole purpose of gathering additional information to support its indictment against Mr. DeMuth.

DeMuth was 17 at the time of the raid

Unlike Feldman, Scott DeMuth is accused of direct participation in the A.L.F. action (prosecutors have stated they believe he is featured in a video made of the raid). 17 at the time, DeMuth is implicated in an action that has the appearance of one of the most complex and expertly executed in the Animal Liberation Front’s history. According the media reports and the A.L.F. communique, activists picked locks, bypassed four layers of security, used stolen key cards to access labs, and removed 401animals from the building undetected. At 17, DeMuth is accused of an action requiring this level of skill.

DeMuth was not told he was a target of the grand jury

Furthering evidence DeMuth’s indictment was reprisal for his refusal to testify, he was not told he was a target of the grand jury when subpoenaed, as required by law. This bolsters the case that DeMuth’s indictment was motivated by spite, and was an afterthought to his refusal to testify.

The statute of limitations had expired

The indictment was issued four days after the five-year statute of limitations had expired. An appellate court judge stated:

The district court abused its discretion when it found Ms. Feldman in contempt of court because it failed to consider a significant relevant factor, i.e., whether the statute of limitations had run on the crime for which the government seeks Ms. Feldman’s testimony….the government itself cites no authority for the proposition it can abuse the grand jury process to compel a witness to testify regarding a crime for which the statute of limitations has expired.

Indictment is unconstitutionally incomplete

Demuth’s original indictment was so “shockingly vague” (defense lawyers), it failed to provide the following basic information: the elements of the alleged offense, supporting facts and circumstances, the law alleged to have  been violated, identifying an element of interstate activity, providing a date range of the alleged conspiracy, where the conspiracy is alleged to have taken place, and basic information as to what he is accused of. The one-page indictment was practically void of any information with which DeMuth could prepare a defense, including any information on what crime he is alleged to have committed.

Law DeMuth charged under did not exist in 2004

Scott DeMuth is charged under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, a law that did not exist until 2006 – two years after the University of Iowa raid.

A quote from the motion to dismiss the indictment:

….respectfully moves that his indictment be dismissed since the charges brought against him are under a statute which was not the law at the time of the alleged offense.

Only evidence is DeMuth’s “resemblance” to person in grainy film

The only evidence the prosecutor has stated to support DeMuth’s involvement is his “resemblance” to an individual in a video of the raid. The video of the rescue, taken by the A.L.F., is a grainy black and white film showing activists loading animals onto carts and taking them from the lab. Video would be damning evidence…. were all activists on the video not wearing masks.

DeMuth is not a vegetarian

In perhaps the most absurd example, the government made the folly of charging someone for an A.L.F. action who is not even a vegetarian.  In fact, the man accused of conspiring to rescue rats from a lab is a bow-hunter.

Conclusion: The jailing of Carrie Feldman and indictment of Scott DeMuth appears to be motivated by the following factors: desperation, spite, and / or a need to freeze the statute of limitation and buy time to build a substantive case.

The combined factors make the University of Iowa A.L.F. case among the most egregious examples of prosecutorial overzealousness in the animal liberation movement’s history.

– Peter Young

Lynx Farm to Police: “Terrorists” Will Release Animals

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Nations largest lynx farm calls 911, fearing an impending raid of their farm

9:53 p.m. February 2nd

An employee of the notorious Fraser Fur Farm (Ronan, MT) called 911 on February 2nd to report they feared an impending raid of their farm. The employee told 911 they received an anonymous call that “terrorist” members of an “animal welfare coalition” will “invade the property and attempt to release the farm’s animals”.

Fraser Fur Farm is known as the largest wild cat farm in the country. Despite lynx being classified as a “threatened” species, it is believed Fraser Fur Farm imprisons at least 50 of the large cats. Most information known about the farm is found in an anonymous report featured in The Blueprint – Fur Farm Intelligence Project Report. There are 14 licensed bobcat and lynx farms in Montana.

View the anonymous report on Fraser Fur Farm here.

To date, there have been no reported Animal Liberation Front actions at Fraser Fur Farm.

– Peter Young

Grand Jury Resister Carrie Feldman in Solitary Confinement

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Carrie Feldman moved to solitary confinement, continues to refuse testimony to grand jury investigating the A.L.F.

We just received word Carrie Feldman has been moved again, this time to Dubuque County Jail. She is being held on 23-hour lockdown. Carrie is now in “segregation”, doublespeak for solitary confinement. This is a tactic used by desperate prosecutors to coerce compliance in prisoners, in this case Carrie’s testimony regarding what prosecutors believe she may know about the 2004 liberation of 401 animals from the University of Iowa.

Carrie is accused of nothing more than refusing to give testimony to a grand jury seeking to indict members of the Animal Liberation Front.

Having spent four months in solitary, I can testify it is every bit the psychological torture one would imagine. Or worse. Please write Carrie Feldman during this difficult time, and support her for taking the most noble and practical approach to a grand jury subpoena: refusal to testify.

Carolyn Feldman
770 Iowa St.
Dubuque, IA 52001

– Peter Young

Below is a message from Carrie Feldman’s support group:

“Carrie was just transferred to Dubuque County Jail; seems like Muscatine was just a temporary stop. (Any mail that has been sent there may or may not get to her; we would like to encourage folks to re-send mail to this address).

We think Dubuque is where she’ll be for a while. Here is her mailing address there–mail should be getting through now:

Carolyn Feldman
770 Iowa St.
Dubuque, IA 52001

Mailing regulations for this jail: letters and cards are okay, “nothing inappropriate,” no glitter. Photos are okay, including Polaroids. You cannot send stamps or envelopes; she has to buy them with commissary money. Commissary money can be sent to the jail in the form of money orders; make sure to note that the money is for her.

Books can come from publishers or bookstores. Hardbacks are okay. Magazines can come from publishers. Copied zines are not allowed (we know).

Carrie is in segregation at this jail for an unknown amount of time, on 23-hour lockdown, and she is no longer allowed visits from anyone other than immediate family. It is going to be especially important for people to write her now, as this may be her only contact with the majority of the outside world for a long time. Please write to Carrie and encourage others to do the same!

And as always, you can send e-letters to davenportgrandjury@riseup.net; we’ll print them out and send them along.

Thank you all for your continued support.”

Upcoming Animal Liberation Conferences

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Upcoming conferences to feature speakers addressing direct action.

Several upcoming conferences are worth noting for their willingness to represent the diversity of tactics employed in the animal liberation movement:

Animal Liberation Forum 2010

CSU-Long Beach, Long Beach CA

April 15th – 18th

Animal Liberation Forum 2010 is a FREE 4 day conference in Long Beach, CA calling for a total abolitionist movement and animal liberation to action. Topics ranging from feminism, animal liberation, direct action and veganism will be discussed and strategized through speakers, panels, workshops and film screenings.

Speakers include: Shannon Keith, Matt Rosselle, and more.

Animal Ethics Conference

Utah Valley University, Provo UT

March 29th – April 2nd

“Utah Valley University’s Animal Ethics Conference will host speakers from all over the country to lecture on and discuss the ethics of animal human relationships.”

Speakers include: Jerry Vlasak, Steven Best, and more

North American Conference for Critical Animal Studies

SUNY Cortland, Syracuse NY

April 9th – 10th

Theme: Abolition, Liberation, and the Intersections within Social Justice

Let Live Conference

Portland State University, Portland OR

June 25th – 27th

“This conference is for first-timers, experienced activists, and anybody in between who hopes to make a real difference for animals and build a stronger, more effective community and animal liberation movement.”

Speakers TBA

Animal Rights National Conference 2010

Hilton Hotel, Alexandria, VA

July 15th – 19th

“Animal Rights 2010 National Conference, the world’s largest and longest-running animal rights gathering.”

Speakers include: Will Potter, Camille Hankins, and more.

Wolves Liberated From Midwest Research Center

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Three wolves released, one remains free after a pen was opened in an overnight action.

Monday morning, workers discovered three wolves had been released from a pen at the Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake,  MN. Two wolves have been recaptured, but one remains free. Only 350 of the rare Mexican Grey Wolves are known to exist.

On Sunday night or early Monday morning, person(s) unknown climbed the center’s front fence and used a long pole to pry open a latch on the Mexican wolf pen.

Predictably, the wolves captors have called this freeing of caged animals “ecoterrorism”. The executive director of the center stated – ““I’m completely convinced this is an anti-hunting group that is out to get me”.

The Wildlife Science Center is said to house bears, wolves, lynx, cougars and other animals used for “education and research”. The facility is on Broadway Avenue, west of Forest Lake.

As of this writing, no communique has been received.

– Peter Young