Police hit squad to target animal rights activists
RNW News
22-12-2008
Extreme animal rights activists will be targeted by a specialist team of policemen, intelligence agents and the ministery of Justice. Dutch Interior Minister Guusje ter Horst has decided this new approach against violence by activists is needed because "they are going too far", she told de Telegraaf daily on Sunday. The minister was referring to increasingly violent actions "against directors of companies that cannot find favour in the eyes of animal rights activists."
The announcement almost coincided with an attack on the property of a senior official of the NYSE Euronext stock exchange. Two cars on the drive of his home in Wassenaar went up in flames. Euronext trades in stocks of British animal testing labs, Huntingdon Life Sciences. Responsibility for the attack has not been claimed yet, but an earlier attack in Hilversum last month was claimed by British animal rights activists.
Lab animals
The new counter-activism team was set up after the public prosecutor's office raised the alarm. Efforts to infiltrate the activists' movement had failed because of the secluded nature of the groups, the prosecutor said, rendering it impossible to fight them. The new police team will target radical animal rights groups and is tasked with preventing new attacks.
In April, the southern city of Venray scrapped ambitious plans for 'Sciencelink', a high-tech campus focusing on biotechnological research and industry, after a series of attacks on the homes of investors and other individuals connected with the project. The attacks included the painting of slogans on walls of private property and the delivery of a mourning wreath. Animal rights activists said that, once in operation, Sciencelink would rely heavily on the use of lab animals.
So the Dutch police has failed to infiltrate animal rights groups? Now that surely is the big news, one would have thought they are more competent at their job.
jan,
24-12-2008
- canada
It is absurd that politicians and corporations call a few defenders of the Earth "extremists" when they themselves are responsible for the blowing off of mountain tops, vacuuming of the ocean, chopping down of the forests, poisoning of the water and air, murder of human and non human life and the theft of landbase. All for $!
Who are the extremists? The greedy of course who want to protect their lifestyle and live off of the backs of all others. These people hate all Life including their own.
Steve,
23-12-2008
- USA
Vera, what would you suggest using people? You have to use animals or people for certain types of medical research. They are not pouring acid into the eyes of animals for the fun of it. Rather, they are studying the effects of medicines and future medical treatments. What if the cars these people set ablaze ignited this executive's house and killed his family? Not to mention this man was not even involved with the company in question. NYSE Euronext trades shares of thousands of companies. These people should stop setting things on fire long enough to educate themselves on what a stock exchange is. Lastly many of these "animal rights groups" are completely hypocritical. Look at this report on PETA, it will show you how many animals they have euthanized each year => http://www.virginia.gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi?link_select=facility&form=fac_select&fac_num=157&year=2007
Vera Gottlieb,
22-12-2008
- Germany
Shame on those who think nothing of making money any which way! This has nothing to do with scientific research, using animals, and a lot to do with...profits before animals.
