On November 8th, 2011, four students from Renaissance High School went to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds to protest against the way the circus treats their elephants. Students attending the protest joined other demonstrators from the bay area that were following the circus around to their performances. One protestor was assaulted while handing out flyers about the circus. The students stayed at the fairgrounds protesting for animal rights from 3pm to 7pm. Read more and view photos | previous coverage: We Are All Animals; Circus Gatti Comes to Watsonville to Benefit the Police | Demonstrators Protest Ringling Bros. Circus' Animal Abuse in San Jose

[October 4, 2011] — In what may be the largest liberation of animals in U.S. history, nets were cut at a holding pen in the San Francisco bay this week, releasing 40,000 fish into the wild. There has not yet been a claim of responsibility by the Animal Liberation Front or other group.

A police spokesperson describes how the fish were released: "(one or more people) came along with essentially what are wire cutters to do this. It was purposeful..." [clip] The largest previous liberation was the Animal Liberation Front raid of the Drewelow and Sons fur farm in New Hampton, Iowa in 2000; where 14,000 mink were released. The Tiburon Salmon Institute is now soliciting funds to purchase security cameras. Read More | voiceofthevoiceless.org

Salem, OR - On Tuesday, September 27th at 10:00am, activists from the Animal Defense League put the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on lockdown, blocking all entrances and locking themselves to doors with bike locks. The Animal Defense League is demanding an end to the agency's program of wolf persecution and extermination.

The ODFW has been managing wolves in Eastern Oregon since spring, when the Fish and Wildlife Service controversially delisted the wolves as an Endangered Species in the Northern Rockies. Since then, the ODFW has already killed three wolves. Read More | pdxanimaldefenseleague.org

[Breaking News 9.27.11 12:07PM] 2 activists were arrested at the ODFW Headquarters[.] Jail support needed for Justin Kay and Stephanie Taylor. Read More

Infamous snitch Jacob Ferguson arrested on drug charges, sent to prison

From Voice of the Voiceless: The man who wore a wire for the FBI and sent over a dozen people to prison for ALF / ELF actions is himself now going to prison. Jacob Ferguson was sentenced this week to 5 years for ?manufacturing, possessing and selling heroin?, according to court records.

Ferguson rose to infamy after becoming the lead informant in the ?Operation Backfire? FBI sweep. The arrests led to prison sentences for over a dozen people on arson charges for ALF / ELF actions going back almost 10 years. Three of those charged ? Joe Dibee, Josephine Sunshine Overaker, and Rebecca Rubin ? are still on the run.

With the (alleged) death of Bin Laden, the FBI has reordered its "Most Wanted Terrorists" list, moving animal liberation fugitive Andres San Diego to number three. San Diego was indicted in 2004 for the bombings of two targets related to the campaign against Huntington Life Sciences: Chiron (Emeryville, CA) and Shaklee (Pleasonton, CA). He was last seen in 2003, after he evaded an FBI surveillance tail in downtown San Francisco.

Andreas San Diego first became a suspect immediately after the Shaklee bombing, when he was pulled over for a minor traffic violation less than a mile from the site of the explosion. He has been a fugitive for nearly eight years. Adding San Diego to the "most wanted terrorists" list is among the more bold moves by the federal government as it works to sell the public on animal rights activists and the A.L.F. as "terrorists". This despite a 30+ year history of activity in which no humans have been harmed. The bombing Andreas are accused of took place at unoccupied office buildings, and no one was injured.

The FBI's wanted poster has this to say about Andreas San Diego... Read More | voiceofthevoiceless.org

The annual Friday-after-Thanksgiving protest of the fur industry, led by In Defense of Animals and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was held in San Francisco's Union Square on November 26th. Similar demonstrations were held in Portland and other cities across the U.S. and the world. From the event announcement: "Come and raise your voice for the voiceless 50 million fur bearing animals that are brutally slaughtered each year for their fur." Read More

Previous Fur-Free Friday Coverage on Indybay: 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2000

Related: International 'Fur-Free Friday' Portland protest | Bold Native Humanizes the "Nation's #1 Domestic Terrorist Threat" | Goldman-Sachs seeks, gets injunction against HLS/Fortress protests

One person, a young vegan named Derek, decided that he was tired of not speaking out, and regardless of whether anyone else would join him, he was going to speak for the animals held inside labs everywhere by holding a 30-day vigil from 11am-3pm every day in front of a Tulane University animal laboratory in downtown New Orleans.

Read copies of secretive newsletter: “Extremist Watch”, published for animal researchers and law enforcement. The publication prints intelligence on the animal rights movement, including activists home addresses, who is dating who, details about the personal lives of activists, and much more.

Related: Video: Protect Salmon AND Sea Lions (pictured)

On Sunday evening, October 24th, approximately twenty compassionate animal rights activists from Portland Animal Defense League visited the homes of two of Oregon National Primate Research Center's (ONPRC) most notorious primate vivisectors. The demos ended a successful week of action in coordination with National Primate Liberation Week

 http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/event-nplw-2010.html.

ACTION ALERT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: In the early morning of October 22nd, activists hung a massive banner over the Willamette River that read, "OHSU: Stop Killing Monkeys Now!" The action was done in solidarity with National Primate Liberation Week. For more information on NPLW: all-creatures.org | pdxanimaldefenseleague.org

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 15th, 2010
Contact: Justin Kay, Portland Animal Defense League-
(503)369-4516, pdx_adl@riseup.net

Portland, OR- During the week of October 16th to the 24th activists from the Portland Animal Defense League will target Oregon Health Science University and its Oregon National Primate Research Center in recognition of National Primate Liberation Week (NPLW). NPLW is an annual week of protest, education and action to end the use of primates in laboratories.

Portland Animal Defense League has long targeted OHSU for dealing in exploitation, death, and scientific fraud. For several years, ADL has engaged in a campaign of education and exposure, illuminating the public to the torture, fraudulent science and "scientists", and wasted tax dollars that characterize the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Those efforts recently culminated in a road blockade outside of the ONPRC in late June that resulted in the arrest of five activists.

Yet activists are not done. There will be a surprise action during the week. The media will be alerted. As long as there are animals imprisoned at the primate center, OHSU will have to answer to the demands for their liberation. ADL has scheduled events for National Primate Liberation Week:

RELATED: Action Alert - Contact OHSU & ONPRC Administration and Staff!

pdxanimaldefenseleague.org

In a communique received [on October 14th] by the Animal Liberation Press Office, the Animal Liberation Front took credit for cutting fences and releasing an entire herd of deer from a farm in Molalla, Oregon. This is the second recorded deer liberation in the U.S. The first occurred in 2005, when the A.L.F. liberated an entire herd of deer from the GNK Deer Ranch in Monterey County, California.

This A.L.F. action is the first reported in Oregon since the July arson at the Ylipelto's Fur Farm, in which several pieces of equipment, a vehicle, and a building were set on fire. The full communique for this week's Oregon deer liberation is as follows:

"On the morning of October 9th, we raided a deer farm located at 32155 S Grimm Road in Molalla, OR. A large section of fencing was stripped away allowing the captive deer herd a chance to escape into the surrounding forest. The venison meat industry remains small in this country, but as long as they exploit sentient animals, they will remain a target of the ALF. For the animals enslaved, mutilated, and murdered by this society: we will be tearing down the fences to set them free. --Animal Liberation Front"

Read More | voiceofthevoiceless.org | Related: National Primate Liberation Week

What's the sound of activists in Rochester fighting for the welfare of animals? RAAR!

Rochester Activists for Animal Rights describe themselves as a newly formed group dedicated to change the prevailing attitudes about animals. The group aims to cultivate compassion for all animals, including people, while employing a diversity of tactics.

Recently, the group launched it's first public event: a fundraisers/dinner/movie screening at the Flying Squirrel Community Space. Around 50 people came to share a vegan dinner followed by a screening of the movie Earthlings, a graphic documentary surveying the abuse of animals across the globe.

I talked with Kristine Deuvall, Kathy Caldwell, and Amy Holland, three members of the group. We discussed the fundraiser, the movie, and what they hope to do with the group. RAAR meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 5:00-6:30 at the Flying Squirrel Community Space, 285 Clarissa St.

Click "More" for the group interview

On Adams-Morgan Day,a DC cop shot and killed a dog in cold blood. It wasn't enough to get a knee in the dog's ribs try and choke him out, he threw the dog down the stairs and shot him. A little over a week later, animal rights protesters and dog lovers showed up in front of MPD's headquarters at 300 Indiana Avenue NW. Murder of Parrot by MPD draws protesters

Keeping up the pressure on the vital financial targets, this week of action is for all companies linked to HLS financially - from Fortress to their subsidiary companies and more. More info on HLS:  http://www.shac.net

Who is Fortress?
In 2006 the Fortress Investment Group entered into a "secret" arrangement with Huntingdon Life Sciences, and loaned them $70 million. If Fortress had not loaned them $70m, HLS would have closed in 2006. If they were to withdraw their loan now, it is highly likely HLS would be forced to close. If ever there was a time for action, it is now. If ever there was a vital target it is Fortress. More info:  http://www.shac.net/action/fortress/index.html

Portland Targets | Portland Schedule