English
>
Current Affairs
Animal rights activists force out property developer
Dutch animal rights activists are claiming a major victory after a property developer decided to pull out of the construction of a new industrial park near the town of Venray in the south of the Netherlands.
The park - called Sciencelink - will house biotech research companies, many of whom carry out testing on animals. Animal rights groups in the Netherlands are vehemently opposed to the project.
Still 'friendly': Dutch animal rights protesters
|
Over the Christmas period, members of the radical Animal Liberation Front (DBF) visited the homes of a number of the development company's directors, confronting them and spraying their homes with slogans such as:
"Stop Sciencelink, Stop Animal Testing", and the more threatening "This time it's just paint. Next time we won't be so friendly. See you in the new year".
The company, Van der Looy Project Management, has now pulled out of the development, saying the opposition has become "threatening and unacceptable".
Given in to threats
It's the first time a Dutch company has so openly given in to threats by the animal rights movement and activists who say it won't be the last. A statement posted on the website stopdierenproeven.org (stopanimaltesting) says:
"We are following the development of Sciencelink closely and will take every possible step to stop it. If other developers show any interest in taking Van de Looy's place, then we can tell them now that we will be on their doorsteps not just once, but time and again."
The radicalisation of animal rights activists in the Netherlands is of increasing concern to the Dutch intelligence service, the AIVD, which released a report on the movement's activities last year. "Home visits" were named in the report as one of the most common tactics. Activists with balaclavas or scarves covering their faces descend on the homes of employees of companies involved directly or indirectly with animal testing. They damage cars, daub slogans on the houses and threaten family members.
Vandalism and intimidation
The group Respect For Animals is named in the AIVD report as central to the movement. The group's spokesperson, Nina Kroos, denies that it is responsible for the "home visits". She says that the members of the Animal Liberation Front are operating outside her organisation - but refuses to condemn their actions.
As far as Respect For Animals is concerned, vandalism and intimidation are justified if aimed at relieving the suffering of animals. The limit, says Kroos, is that "no-one is killed and no-one is injured".
The Venray city councillor responsible for the Sciencelink project was both astonished and upset by the news. "I've always believed we live in a democracy" he said, "and the way the animal rights activists are behaving is not the way we should treat each other". The future of the project is uncertain now that Van Der Looy has pulled out.
Tags:
AIVD,
Animal rights,
DBF
Marc,
13-01-2008
- RSA
Couldn't agree more with you Jan. Dogs, cats, primates, on and on and on. The perpetrators should be hunted down and severely punished. It centres around mankinds God-complex. Have a look at the philosophical side of comedy - George Carlin taking a dig at the "Sanctity of Life" issue. Many a true word said in jest.
Evert C. Weidner,
12-01-2008
- USA
Adding a comment to this touchy subject, is that it is a bit anthropomorphic in all honesty, and I wonder how many of the activists are vegetarian, wear no leather shoes, wear no woolen cloths, maintain no burden animals, etc., etc., or take for granted and advantage of the society they live in.
I do feel, however, as most feeling and educated people certainly do, that one has to have the proper respect for the animal kingdom of what it has or is contributing to our wellbeing, including with lives, and treat it accordingly, even benefiting them as well in their medical circumstances.
Jan Velema,
09-01-2008
- CANADA
The Venray city councillor who said, "I've always believe we live in a democrasy and the way the animal rights activiist are behaving is not the way we should treat each other," is of course a radical hypocrit. He or she obviously believes that it isn't okay to threaten other humans but it is okay to "experiment" on other animals. This is the fundamental problem with humanity. Humanity puts itself first when in actuality we are connected to all life. I give Hail, Hail to these activists for their courage. The rest of us are cowards.
Tony Bernhoffer,
08-01-2008
- USA
Since I had to frop out of grad school in 1986 people like my two brothers and even some Arab medical doctors tried to get pushy with me to go back to grad school. I dropped out and stayed out out of protest against the government. But a year ago I got a phony newsletter from the U of Toeldo Chem Department mentioning how Prof Julian Davies from England or Australia had become a methodist minister. When he first came to U of Toledo and was my Organic chem prof he reminded me of one of the Bee Gees! He had a beard. I exchanged a few emails and Bible studies with him., Then maybe because I said something about a girl whose dad had aPhD in Chemistry, I could hear him heckling my house at ngiht with my former Chem Advisor Dr. Robert Niedzielski. They were threatening me from outdoors to try to make me work at Cousins Waste Control, a dumpy garage in Toledo, or go back to grad school. They threatened to get the U of Toledo Law School to sue me for my former wife so she could get a part of my BS degree! I almost went insane in 1986 and she wanted a piece of my degree! I saw on 60 Minutes about the Animal Liberation Front. But they did not want me because I eat meat! But some of the stuff they did that I read about seemed lik college pranks. One former chem prof once said he had wrapped metallic sodium in paper towel and flushed it down the toilet so it would explode in the plumbing. So, I really think of this as kiddie games. Plus I used to be in the US Army at 17 when I finished high school. but I don't know a thing about bomb making. the attsbcdsl intimidated me into getting of their net since they had a link which showed all the photos i sent to people and what photos people sent to me! I had a few names of chem profs that they might lke to meet-ones that seemed connected to the Energy Department and the atom bomb. I think this is one of the reasons the MDs act freaky with me.My grandfather also named Anton Bernhoffer had died in the Resistance against Hitler. My two brothers are brown nosers toward people in auithority-I only obey the laws. I had seen in TIME how German acitvists were taking notes on the movement of Pershing missile batteries on manuevers in Germany. So, I finked out my profs to these poeple-they don't like me anyway and I do not write to them.
paul levinsky,
08-01-2008
- united States
KUDOS - more power to the DBF. End sick animal torture NOW!!! Do to the sadistic bastards what they would have done to the helpless innocent animals!!!
Rene Woodham,
08-01-2008
- Brazil
Animals cannot speak for themselves so someone has to do it!
Georgette Chalker,
08-01-2008
- USA/Netherlands
I salute these brave heroes who will make a difference in thousands of innocent lives. All creators have a consciousness which experiences pain. If we call ourselves intelligent beings, we should not afflict pain on the innocent. Animal activists cry real tears everyday. Salute to Holland! Salute to these heroes!
