No Compromise |
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July 14, 2001 |
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(New Jersey) The international animal protection organization Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) asserts that the false arrests made by the New Brunswick and North Brunswick police forces and the outrageous bail set at $25,000.00 for each peaceful demonstrator, will lead to a backlash of illegal activities against Huntingdon Life Sciences. SHAC states these actions attempt to strip the campaign of the legal and Constitutionally protected right to protest to close down the notorious animal testing lab HLS.
Yesterday animal rights activists from across the East Coast traveled through New Jersey staging several demonstrations at pharmaceutical customers and financial supporters of HLS. Some of those targeted included the Bank of New York, Novartis, Bayer, and Morgan Stanley Dean Whitter. After a day of action statewide in NJ, the activists converged at the lab for a loud and powerful demonstration that was followed up with a boisterous home demonstration that had over 75 people in attendance and red paint bombs were allegedly thrown at the home of Katherine Brower, director of Human Resources for HLS.
Police have arrested and detained 20 protestors at the home demonstration and charged them with violating an injunction HLS had granted to them, that limited the scope of home demonstrations in Somerset county. Although the demonstration was held in Middlesex County, where the injunction is not legally valid, the police and judge have chosen to ignore the law and are now being accused of trampling the civil liberties of those being detained.
Several of the demonstrators have never been to a demonstration at HLS before, nor had been given any notice of an injunction in the first place. A couple of those being detained are over the age of 70 and three require medical assistance, that is unclear as to whether the police are taking notice of.
The $25,000.00 bail set for each demonstrator without the 10% bonding option shows the political nature of the arrests/detention and has stunned legal advocates statewide, who will be challenging North Brunswick Judge Kollar's ruling. Activists are already planning civil litigation against Somerset and Middlesex counties for civil rights violations.
According to a SHAC spokesperson, "the more HLS and the corrupt police force and judges of New Jersey attempt to curb our legal rights to educate the public and stage peaceful demonstrations the more they will disillusion activists and drive them underground. When scandalous companies such as this attempt to corrupt the laws of this country to remove the legal right to protest, they leave few other options for those concerned about the welfare of the animals being tortured. This has happened in countless other social justice movements and the Anti-HLS campaign will prove no different.. HLS is inciting a backlash and we will not be held resposible."
Animal rights campaigners are predicting the police overreaction and unbelievable bail will raise HLS¹s profile and their terrible history of animal cruelty, sloppy science, and breaking the law.
The SHAC spokesperson finishes by stating, "the real criminals are those within HLS inflicting unspeakable pain onto innocent animals for the benefit of testing more cancerous agrochemicals, food colorings, and household cleaning agents. Despite the police being in bed with HLS we will be undeterred, relentless and successful in our efforts to close that vile place down."
SHAC promises that the arrests will not stop them, or the whole animal rights movement of America from focusing time and energy into the legal campaign for the 500 animals that die everyday inside of HLS.
Related Stories/Links:
» Animal rights protesters arrested in North Brunswick - Associated Press
»
15 arrested outside animal research chief's home - Ananova
» Protests
result in damage, 28 arrests - Home News Tribune
» 20 Arrests at HLS Home Demonstration - No
Compromise
» Eight Arrested at Bank of New York! - No Compromise
» Day of Action Against HLS Culminates in Massive Protest at Lab - No Compromise