BRISTOL, ENGLAND -- On January 6th, British Animal Activist, Barry Horne, started what was to become a five week hunger strike that shook the foundation of the vivisectors.

Barry is currently jailed on remand awaiting trial for allegedly attempting to destroy vivisection labs. In a letter from prison Barry said the objective of his hunger strike was "to protest at the Government's continued support for, and encouragement of, the vivisection industry in this country and to call on the Government to give a commitment to end its support for the vivisection industry, both financial and moral, within a period of five years."

His letter concluded, "This hunger strike can be won because it is right. I appeal to everybody who cares about animal liberation to fight alongside me on this issue and force the Government to abandon its inflexible stance on vivisection. By myself I cannot win this protest, that much is obvious. But I know that I am not alone in this. I know that there are many, many, people out there who will fight in their own way every bit as hard as I am. I appeal to them now to do so."

And do so they did. In Britain, multiple Barry Horne support protests with up to 100 people in attendance transformed into mob actions where in broad daylight, and with police present, they would trash vivisection and animal breeding facilities and liberate animals. (You've got to love those British activists!) Twenty-six people were arrested.

Other animal liberationists planted incendiaries under the trucks at Buxted Chicken's Processing Camp in support of Barry's demands and sacrifices. One truck was totally demolished and six others were damaged. A.L.F. prisoners in England and the U.S. did a 48 hour sympathetic hunger strike with Barry.

Activists in Holland, New Zealand, and the states also conducted support protests, disruptions, and British flag-burnings at the British Consulates, vivisection labs, and the homes of researchers. Dozens of Americans joined Barry in sympathetic hunger strikes and bombarded the Consulates with calls of protest and concern.

Happy to see the anti-vivisection movement fired up with a renewed determination and enthusiasm, Barry ended his hunger-strike on February the 9th. Activists everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief to know that Barry will live to fight another day. What can we say? BARRY ROCKS!