indybay animalliberation features
https://www.indybay.org/animalliberation
Indybay Animal Liberation Featuresen-USSF Bay Area Independent Media Center (Indybay)SF Bay Area Independent Media Center (Indybay)indybay animalliberation featureshttps://www.indybay.org/favicon.ico
https://www.indybay.org/animalliberation
Indybay Animal Liberation Features
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/03/06/18854722.php
Activists Declare Right to Rescue Farm AnimalsProtestors Call on Merced DA to Prosecute Cruelty at Foster Farms, Not Animal RescuersMarch 7 at Merced County Superior Court.]]>2023-03-07T05:49:41Z2023-03-07T05:49:41Zen-US
In September 2021, Alicia Santurio and Alexandra Paul removed two chickens from a truck at the slaughterhouse, took them to receive veterinary care, and placed them in a sanctuary for rescued animals. The women are being charged with theft, with the trial set to begin March 7 at Merced County Superior Court.
The rescue occurred on the same day animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) released hidden camera footage obtained inside the slaughterhouse. Former slaughterhouse worker Susana Chavez, who co-organized the February protest, said, "the DA’s office isn’t lifting a finger to investigate or prosecute, opting instead to come after members of the group that blew the whistle on Foster Farms."
See Also: Protesters Call for Closure of Primate Research Center at UC Davis |
Activists Call for End of Gas Chambers, Deliver Undercover Pig Slaughter Footage to USDA in Berkeley |
First-Ever Footage Inside a US Slaughterhouse Gas Chamber Obtained at Smithfield Foods
]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaCentral ValleyFront PagePolice Stateimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2022/12/22/18853559.php
ALF Action Leads to Closure of Largest US Mink FarmBountiful Mink "Liberation Season" Hits Ohio and Michigan, Leading to Closure of Massive Farm2022-12-22T21:43:34Z2022-12-22T21:43:34Zen-US
On November 8, the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) claimed credit for the liberation of 1,000 captive mink from a farm in Massillon, Ohio. The following day, ALF took credit for the liberation of 800 more captive mink, this time from Pipkorn Farm in Powers, Michigan. The same mink "farm" had been raided by the Earth Liberation Front, a sister organization, in 1999. On November 14, ALF painted their insignia at Lion Farms in Van Wert County, Ohio, where perhaps 10,000 or more captive mink were liberated. In December, another 4,000 captive mink were liberated from Scholten Farm in Wayland, Michigan, marking the fourth liberation from an American fur farm in the last two months. Additionally, ALF claimed extensive damage was done to ten Scholten farm vehicles, the water supply, and killing devices.
Lion Farms is the largest mink farm in the US and, apparently, the action on November 14 has led to its closure. Lion Farms' owner, Rien Leeijen, told employees on December 19 that he was selling the business, and that their final day of work will be December 23.
Related Features: Oakland Activists Accused of Freeing Animals Are Charged as Terrorists (2015) |
Animal Liberation Front Claims Increasing Number of Fur Farm Raids (2013)]]>Animal LiberationFront PageU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/08/17/18844355.php
Endangered Orcas’ West Coast Habitat Receives New Federal Protection15,910 Square Miles of Critical Habitat Added to Existing Salish Sea Protections2021-08-17T21:39:09Z2021-08-17T21:39:09Zen-US
The final rule, which is more protective than the one proposed in September 2019, follows an April 2019 court-ordered agreement achieved after the Center sued the Trump administration in 2018 for failing to issue habitat protections required by the Endangered Species Act. The expanded critical habitat covers important foraging areas, river mouths and migratory pathways along the Pacific Coast from the Canadian border to Big Sur, California. Added to the current habitat protections in Washington’s inland waters, the total designation encompasses more than 18,000 square miles of marine habitat.
While these orcas spend much of the summer in the Puget Sound and Salish Sea (areas protected as critical habitat in 2006), they travel extensively along the West Coast during the winter and early spring, congregating near coastal rivers to rest and feed on migrating salmon.
Related Feature:Lawsuit Forces Protection for Endangered Orcas' West Coast Habitat]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaCity of San FranciscoEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront PageNorth Bay / MarinNorth CoastPeninsulaSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay AreaU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/07/27/18844025.php
"A Wake for the Whales" Marks Bay Area Deaths, Calls for ProtectionsDead Whales Washing Up on Bay Area Beaches Is a Wake-up Call2021-07-28T05:38:09Z2021-07-28T05:38:09Zen-US
Against the backdrop of the Golden Gate, through which container ships and fishing boats pass regularly, speakers at the event called for a mandatory 10-knot speed limits for ships passing through whale habitat along California’s coast and the conversion of California’s trap fisheries to new ropeless gear to prevent deadly entanglements. They also called for strong national action to address climate change, which can cause malnutrition as whales’ food sources are decreased or moved, sometimes bringing whales into areas where they’re more likely to be entangled or hit by ships.
“Dead whales washing up on Bay Area beaches is a wake-up call. We answered that call at this event by demanding action to address ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear and climate change,” said Steve Jones with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Whales are essential to healthy oceans because they spread nutrients and store carbon. The more we can do to protect them as their populations recover, the better off we’ll all be.”
Read More with Photos |
A Wake for Whales: Protest for Endangered Marine Life on Int'l. Oceans Day]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaCity of San FranciscoEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront Pageimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/07/27/18844024.php
New Wolf Pack Confirmed in California’s Plumas CountyPhotographs of 'Beckwourth' Pack Captured on Trail Camera2021-07-28T05:33:10Z2021-07-28T05:33:10Zen-US
“With states like Idaho and Montana racing to slaughter their wolf populations, this is such wonderful news,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior West Coast wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. “These beautiful newcomers are proving that California has great habitat for wolves, as scientists have said all along.”
California currently has two other existing groups of wolves: the Lassen pack, confirmed in 2017, and the Whaleback pair, which is not yet a pack, confirmed in late 2020. California’s only other known wolf pack in modern times, the Shasta pack, was confirmed in summer 2015 but disappeared a few months later.
See Also:Wolf Update: California’s Lassen Pack Grows ]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaCentral ValleyEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront Pageimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/17/18828969.php
California Bans Fur Sales StatewideFur Free Friday Protests Continue at Fur Retailers After Statewide Ban Passes2019-12-17T22:28:59Z2019-12-17T22:28:59Zen-US
Prior to passage of California AB 44 banning fur, dozens of people who showed up in Sacramento in July to speak in opposition to the bill were later revealed to have been paid to do so by the Fur Information Council of America and Mobilize the Message, a Republican consulting firm.
On November 29, in the long-time tradition of Fur Free Friday protests the day after Thanksgiving, DxE activists demonstrated at a Walnut Creek fur store on Black Friday, less than a week after the store’s opening. One protester, Cassie King, masqueraded as a manager, welcoming customers into the store with satirical enthusiasm, describing the violent, cruel ways animals in the fur industry are treated and killed. The fur store, Maximillian, sells fur relocated from Saks Fifth Avenue in San Francisco, where a complete legal ban on fur sales becomes effective January 1, 2020.
In response to the protests in San Francisco, Whole Foods’ parent-company Amazon filed for a temporary restraining order against the animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere, its co-founder Wayne Hsiung, and dozens of unnamed individuals and affiliates. The complaint seeks to restrain protests against the company at all California locations. Whole Foods was granted a similar restraining order for its Berkeley location in September 2018.
Related Features: Four Activists Arraigned on Seven Felony Charges Each After Mass Arrest at Chicken Farm |
Restraining Order Restricts Animal Rights Protests at Berkeley Whole Foods]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaCity of San FranciscoFront PageGovernment & ElectionsPolice Stateimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/10/06/18827104.php
Animal Rights Activists Converge on Petaluma SlaughterhouseSeventy-Five Arrested After Hundreds Converge on Petaluma Duck Slaughterhouse2019-10-07T02:11:05Z2019-10-07T02:11:05Zen-US
The facility, which slaughters over 1 million ducks annually, has been the subject of numerous reports of animal cruelty, including birds with gaping wounds collapsed on the wire floor. Despite these complaints — and damning opinions by a prominent veterinarian and a former federal prosecutor — local authorities have failed to take action against the company. The activists, who donned veterinarian-approved biosecurity gear as they entered the facility to give aid to sick and injured animals, say their actions are a necessary response to a pattern of corporate and government misconduct.
Related Feature:Salinas Rodeo Hides Animal Injuries in Violation of California Law]]>Animal LiberationFront PageSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay Areaimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/05/10/18823385.php
Protest Pushes Retailer as California Considers Fur BanAnti-Fur Activists Stage Bloody Fashion Show Outside Palo Alto Neiman Marcus2019-05-11T00:11:41Z2019-05-11T00:11:41Zen-US
The action comes on the heels of fur bans in West Hollywood, San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as a bill to ban fur sales statewide being considered in the California assembly. A.B. 44 would make it illegal to manufacture, sell, offer for sale, display for sale, trade, give, donate or otherwise distribute a fur product in the state. With a wave of fashion designers and retailers also ditching fur, activists say its time we move past the cruel, unnecessary industry.
Read More |
Direct Action Everywhere |
In Defense of Animals]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaFront PagePeninsulaimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/05/05/18823221.php
Lawsuit Forces Protection for Endangered Orcas' West Coast HabitatDwindling Orcas Starving for Lack of Salmon, Being Hurt by Boats and Water Pollution2019-05-06T00:56:01Z2019-05-06T00:56:01Zen-US
Within weeks, a victory was won. The National Marine Fisheries Service committed to proposing a rule acting on the Center’s 2014 petition for orca habitat protection off Washington, Oregon and California. An expanded designation of critical habitat has to be proposed by early October to help the critically endangered orcas, which are starving for lack of salmon and being hurt by boat traffic and water pollution.
In January 2019 scientists confirmed the birth of a baby orca named Lucky after it was spotted with its pod in Monterey Bay. The first calf to survive past birth since 2015, Lucky underscores the urgent need to improve feeding opportunities for Southern Resident killer whales along their whole West Coast habitat. Currently, only their summer feeding grounds in Washington’s Puget Sound are designated as critical habitat.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund sent letters to the following restaurants, that, among others, it has reason to believe may be selling foie gras in violation of the ban:
• The Biltmore Hotel and The Bazaar in Los Angeles County
• Pabu, Lao Table, Absinthe, and Prospect in San Francisco County
• Bouchon Bistro in Napa County
• The Lakefront Restaurant in Mono County
• Crocodile French Cuisine and Acme Burger in Sonoma County
• The Catch in Orange County
• Mulvaney’s B&L in Sacramento County
Related Features: Activists Keep Pressure on Producers of Foie Gras |
Activists Call for Boycott of Lark Creek Inn in Marin |
Growing Victories in Foie Gras Fight |
Keeping the Heat on Aqua over Foie Gras |
California Bans Foie Gras ]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaCentral ValleyCity of San FranciscoNorth Bay / Marinimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/05/04/18823199.php
Animal Activists March for Animals in Santa RosaAuthorities Fail to Enforce Animal Cruelty Laws Yet Prosecute Activists2019-05-05T00:53:48Z2019-05-05T00:53:48Zen-US
The march highlighted what activists call criminal animal cruelty on factory farms throughout Sonoma county, which has been reported to local authorities. No enforcement action has been taken. Authorities have, however, prosecuted activists who have investigated the farms, with six currently facing seven Sonoma county felony charges each.
“The citizens of Sonoma county support animal rescue, not animal abuse,” said DxE press coordinator Matt Johnson. “We call on District Attorney Jill Ravitch to represent the will of the people, not the powerful.”
Related Features: Four Activists Arraigned on Seven Felony Charges Each After Mass Arrest at Chicken Farm |
Petaluma Whole Foods Factory Farm Defended by Riot Police |
Dozens of Animal Rights Activists Arrested at Petaluma Industrial Egg Facility]]>Animal LiberationNorth Bay / Marinimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/02/19/18821286.php
Costco Egg Supplier Seeks to Bankrupt Animal InvestigatorsProtest in SF Costco Meat Department After $331,000 Restitution Ruling2019-02-20T07:00:02Z2019-02-20T07:00:02Zen-US
A 2016 DxE investigation exposed widespread cannibalism and horrific conditions at Pleasant Valley Farms in Ripon, California. The two Bay Area residents who investigated the farm, Jason Oliver and Paul Picklesimer, were initially charged with felony commercial burglary and subsequently pleaded no-contest to a reduced charge of trespass. The defendants were then ordered to pay restitution of $331,991 to compensate the farm owner’s claim that he was forced to depopulate (slaughter) all chickens in the barn, despite the fact that all of the chickens the farmer killed were in the wrong barn, a barn the activists never entered. The DxE activists assert that the depopulation occurred to cover-up cruelty at the farm, and they cite documents showing rates of animal mortality far above industry standards.
See Also: Pack the Courtroom for Open Rescue Activists Part 2! (2018)]]>Animal LiberationCentral ValleyCity of San FranciscoFront PagePolice Stateimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/11/03/18818727.php
Liberation of Sick and Dying Birds Leads to Felony ChargesFour Activists Arraigned on Seven Felony Charges Each After Mass Arrest at Chicken Farm2018-11-03T23:17:55Z2018-11-03T23:17:55Zen-US
Fifty-eight people were arrested and charged with felony conspiracy, felony burglary and misdemeanor trespass charges following the vigil and sit-in. Bond was set at $20,000 each, for over $1.3 million in total. On November 2, four of them were arraigned on a total of seven felony charges each: one count of grand theft of fruits and vegetables, four counts of Second Degree Commercial Burglary, two counts of Conspiracy To Commit a Crime, and one count of Grand Theft Of Vegetables and Fruits. Some of the charges stem from a similar action at a Sonoma county egg farm in May.
Authorities also charged one activist with misdemeanor assault for allegedly attacking a farm employee and the farm owner. DxE denies the claims. On the contrary, DxE cites footage showing verbal and physical abuse levied at the activists by farm owners, including homophobic slurs, threats of violence, and aggressive behavior resulting in police threatening to use a taser. During the action, Sheriff's deputies confiscated thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment from the activists, which deputies said may never be returned.
Related Feature: Restraining Order Restricts Animal Rights Protests at Berkeley Whole Foods |
Dozens of Animal Rights Activists Arrested at Petaluma Industrial Egg Facility (May 2018)]]>Animal LiberationFront PageNorth Bay / Marinimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/11/03/18818722.php
Halloween March for Animal RightsSan Francisco Demonstration Dramatized Animals Killed for Food “Haunting” the City2018-11-03T22:34:51Z2018-11-03T22:34:51Zen-US
The activists were also marching to honor the brief lives of animals such as Angel, a dying calf that DxE activists tried to rescue from a California farm on October 18, but who was taken away by police as she was being carried to safety. They spoke and displayed signage in remembrance of 9 hens taken from activists’ arms and later killed by authorities during a September 29 demonstration at a Petaluma chicken farm which resulted in multiple felony charges for 58 activists.
Related Feature: Restraining Order Restricts Animal Rights Protests at Berkeley Whole Foods
]]>Animal LiberationCity of San FranciscoFront Pageimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/09/25/18817822.php
Whole Foods Leans on Court to Suppress ProtestsRestraining Order Restricts Animal Rights Protests at Berkeley Whole FoodsSeptember 23-29.]]>2018-09-26T05:45:20Z2018-09-26T05:45:20Zen-US
Multiple undercover investigations of Whole Foods suppliers have exposed what activists call criminal animal cruelty at farms that include Diestel Turkey Ranch, Pitman Family Farms (Mary’s Free Range Chicken) and Petaluma Farms. Dozens of people have been arrested at resulting Northern California protests. Internal memos from Whole Foods that were secretly passed to DxE by whistleblowers, as well as personal correspondence with Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, demonstrate the company’s intolerance to criticism. Whole Food’s acquisition by Amazon, DxE activists say, has led to a new strategy: crushing activists through litigation.
Despite the court ruling, "Occupy Whole Foods" is proceeding as planned during the week of September 23-29, with a protest presence on the public sidewalk just beyond Berkeley Whole Foods' property. A mass action is planned for this Saturday, September 29. [UPDATE 9/30: 58 Arrested on Felony Charges as Activists Occupy "Free Range" Amazon Chicken Supplier.]
Related Features: Four Activists Arraigned on Seven Felony Charges Each After Mass Arrest at Chicken Farm |
Petaluma Whole Foods Factory Farm Defended by Riot Police |
Hundreds Rally in Effort to Save Chickens from Sunrise Farms]]>Animal LiberationEast Bay AreaFront PagePolice Stateimage/png
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/08/11/18816886.php
Petaluma Whole Foods Factory Farm Defended by Riot PoliceActivists Cite Photos, Video, and Dead Chicken as Evidence of Ongoing Illegal Treatment2018-08-12T05:58:16Z2018-08-12T05:58:16Zen-US
Chanting and laying down white flowers, the activists held a ceremony to honor the uncounted animals who have died within the walls of the farm. Continuing to chant and sing, they then marched five miles to the Petaluma Whole Foods location, which sells the farm’s eggs bearing animal welfare labeling. In front of the supermarket, speakers sought to alert well-intentioned customers about mislabeled products and the lack of accountability in labeling standards, and to encouraging them to “seek out the truth for themselves.”
Related Feature: Dozens of Animal Rights Activists Arrested at Petaluma Industrial Egg Facility]]>Animal LiberationFront PageNorth Bay / MarinPolice Stateimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/05/30/18815335.php
Hundreds Rally in Effort to Save Chickens from Sunrise FarmsDozens of Animal Rights Activists Arrested at Petaluma Industrial Egg Facility2018-05-30T20:11:56Z2018-05-30T20:11:56Zen-US
Marching outside the farm entrance carrying flowers and denouncing the "horrific cruelty" they say takes place within the facility, the group was confronted by local police who barred them from entering and later arrested those who tried. The group cited evidence that Sunrise Farms — one of the region's largest egg farms and which provides eggs to Amazon-owned Whole Foods grocery chain — is keeping the birds in cruel and unhealthy confinement.
DxE co-founder Wayne Hsuing — already facing the potential of decades in prison for previous investigations and similar rescue operations — and dozens of other activists were arrested by local law enforcement after they attempted to enter the farm and access one of the industrial chicken sheds to document conditions and demand the transfer of sick or mistreated birds to the city animal shelter.
Hundreds Rally, Dozens Arrested in Effort to Save Chickens from Horrific Cruelty |
39 Arrested as Hundreds of Animal Rights Activists Occupy California Factory Farm]]>Animal LiberationFront PageNorth Bay / MarinPolice Stateimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/08/19/18801881.php
Court Rules Monterey County's Federal Animal-killing Contract Violates LawDecision Likely Halts Program That Kills Coyotes, Bobcats, Mountain Lions2017-08-20T04:40:53Z2017-08-20T04:40:53Zen-US
The court’s ruling finds that Monterey County’s contract renewal with Wildlife Services violates CEQA because the county wrongfully claimed an exemption from the Act. The court found “no evidence” to support the county’s claim that its contract for predator control could not result in “significant environmental change,” so the county must now analyze the environmental impacts of the program.
Monterey County’s previous contract authorized Wildlife Services to kill hundreds of coyotes, as well as bobcats, mountain lions and other animals every year without fully assessing the ecological damage or considering alternatives. For example, from June 2014 to June 2015, Wildlife Services killed 105 coyotes, three mountain lions and two bobcats in the county. Over the past six years, Wildlife Services has killed more than 3,500 animals in Monterey County using traps, snares and firearms.
See Also:
Lawsuit Challenges Monterey County's Contract With Federal Wildlife-killing Program]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront PageGovernment & ElectionsSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay AreaU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/04/22/18798709.php
Famous Herd of Mustangs Faces A Round-UpThe Future of Our Nation's Wild Horses is Uncertain2017-04-23T02:56:58Z2017-04-23T02:56:58Zen-US
Wild horses love their families and their freedom, but after they are rounded-up they lose all of that. When the Bureau of Land Management decides the amount of horses exceed the appropriate management area, they organize the rounding up of the excess horses. In the round-ups, helicopters are used to corral the horses into holding pens. From those pens they are taken to adoption centers where they are either put up for adoption or sold at auctions.
See Also:
The Future of Our Nations Wild Horses is Uncertain]]>Animal LiberationEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront PageU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/04/03/18797957.php
Whale Entanglements Break Record for Third Straight YearCalifornia Dungeness Crab Fishery Catches Record Number of Whales2017-04-04T01:25:17Z2017-04-04T01:25:17Zen-US
“Whales are suffering slow, painful deaths because there are too many crab traps in Monterey Bay,” said Catherine Kilduff of the Center for Biological Diversity. “When whales get tangled up in traps, they can die of starvation or dehydration. After seeing this problem reach a record level, California has to reduce the number of traps and issue emergency closures as needed to protect these beautiful animals.”
More than 71 separate cases of whale entanglements were reported last year off California, Oregon and Washington. That tops record-breaking totals in 2014 and 2015. Of those, the commercial California Dungeness crab fishery was responsible for 22 confirmed whale entanglements out of the total of 29 where fishing-gear type could be identified. Dungeness traps entangled blue and humpback whales and an orca, and crab traps were reported on entangled whales in Canada and Mexico.
Related Feature:California Moves to Keep Whales Out of Crab Gear]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront PageSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay Areaimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/12/10/18794572.php
Disastrous New City at Tejon Ranch Approved for Kern CountyKern County Supervisors Green-light Sprawling 8,000-acre Grapevine Development2016-12-10T21:50:57Z2016-12-10T21:50:57Zen-USCenter for Biological Diversity about the harm the project will do to wildlife and nearby communities. The 8,000-acre development will straddle the San Joaquin Valley and Tehachapi Mountains and create a new city of up to 12,000 dwelling units and up to 5.1 million square feet of commercial real estate.
The project will destroy habitat for the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard and threatened San Joaquin antelope squirrel, along with up to 36 other rare and imperiled species.
“The blunt-nosed leopard lizard and San Joaquin antelope squirrel are teetering on the brink of extinction,” said Ileene Anderson, a biologist with the Center. “It’s tragic that the county’s willing to sacrifice these species on the altar of an unsustainable sprawl development.”
Read More]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaCentral ValleyEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront Pageimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/06/06/18787292.php
Animal Rights Activists Rush Sanders’ Stage in OaklandProtest Denounces Sanders’ Support for Animal Agriculture, Demands “Animal Liberation Now"2016-06-07T06:57:18Z2016-06-07T06:57:18Zen-US
“Sanders claims to oppose ‘factory farming,’ but what he hides is that virtually all farms in the United States, including farms he supports, are essentially factory farms,” said protest organizer Aidan Cook. “What we’ve learned in the case of human oppression applies to animals too: when we see someone as an object, all sorts of horrors — notably factory farming — are not just possible but inevitable.”
In March Sanders was criticized by hip hop mogul Russell Simmons for refusing to combat animal agriculture and, according to Sanders’ wife, declaring that he stands with the farmers. Simmons in turn endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination and Sanders was criticized in the Huffington Post as an “animal agribusiness stooge.”
Read More |
Bernie Sanders rallies in Oakland before California primary |
Direct Action Everywhere (DxE)]]>Animal LiberationEast Bay AreaGovernment & Electionsimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/03/13/18783998.php
Disappearance of Goats, Rabbits at Santa Cruz Biotechnology Raises QuestionsExodus of SCBT Goat and Rabbit Inventories Coincides with Enforcement Actions by USDA2016-03-14T01:05:04Z2016-03-14T01:05:04Zen-US
An inspection conducted by the USDA just six months prior revealed an inventory of 3,202 goats and 2,471 rabbits. The exodus of the facility’s goat and rabbit inventories coincides with an unprecedented series of enforcement actions by the USDA against SCBT. These actions are tied to numerous citations issued against the company by USDA veterinary inspectors, alleging serious violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including concealing an entire barn housing over 800 goats who had been used in antibody production.
“SCBT has been repeatedly cited by the USDA for failing to meet the modest requirements under the law,” said Cathy Liss, president of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), which has brought public scrutiny to the allegations against SCBT. Since 2012, AWI has repeatedly called for the USDA to take action, including seeking revocation of SCBT’s dealer license and issuing a substantial fine against the facility. “This company has been on the USDA’s enforcement radar for more than a decade. It appears that its misdeeds have finally caught up with it. We applaud the department for its diligence and will continue our efforts to ensure that no animals will ever suffer at SCBT again.”
“It’s been heartbreaking to see so many humpback and gray whales tangled up in fishing lines along California’s coast,” said Kristen Monsell, a Center attorney who serves on the working group. “We’re glad to see the crab industry involved with finding solutions and these recommendations are a good first step.”
Read More | See Also:New Data Shows West Coast Whale Entanglements Now at Record High Levels]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaCity of San FranciscoEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront PageInternationalNorth Bay / MarinNorth CoastPeninsulaSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay AreaU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/08/21/18776489.php
USDA Presents Case Against Santa Cruz Biotechnology in Historic ProceedingExtreme Suffering of Animals Documented at Anitbody Supplier's Facility2015-08-22T06:53:08Z2015-08-22T06:53:08Zen-US
The most recent complaint alleges that SCBT has “willfully violated” the AWA and “demonstrated bad faith by misleading” USDA personnel. This complaint also documents extreme suffering of goats, including one who suffered and was eventually euthanized with a captive bolt gun by veterinary tech personnel because no veterinarian was available.
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has led a hard-hitting campaign calling for the USDA to take firm action against SCBT. “We are hopeful that the USDA will put on a solid case utilizing the extensive documentation it has gathered and that the judge will recognize the grave nature of the alleged violations at SCBT, which have caused needless animal suffering,” said Cathy Liss, president of AWI. “We strongly believe that these USDA citations warrant severe penalties, including license revocation or suspension.”
Previous Coverage:Dealer of Animal-Derived Antibodies Could Lose License || ALDF Lawsuit Against Santa Cruz Biotechnology Animal Testing Facility Gains Support || Federal Investigations Reveal Severe Neglect of Animals at Santa Cruz Biotechnology]]>Animal LiberationFront PageSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay AreaU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/08/04/18775732.php
Idaho AgGag Law Struck Down as UnconstitutionalJudge Declares AgGag Law Unconstitutional Attempt to Silence Critics, Whistleblowers2015-08-04T07:24:27Z2015-08-04T07:24:27Zen-US
The lawsuit was brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and PETA, working with plaintiffs including undercover investigators, Farm Forward, and Will Potter as a journalist. A wide-range of organizations supported the lawsuit by filing amicus briefs. They represented food safety, environmental, labor, whistleblower, and journalism organizations.
“The overwhelming evidence gleaned from the legislative history indicates that § 18-7042 was intended to silence animal welfare activists, or other whistleblowers, who seek to publish speech critical of the agricultural production industry,” Winmill writes. “Many legislators made their intent crystal clear by comparing animal rights activists to terrorists….”
Read More |
Idaho “Ag-Gag” Law Ruled Unconstitutional in Federal Court |
See Also:
Coalition Responds to Idaho’s Motion to Dimiss Ag Gag Lawsuit |
Groups Head to Court over Controversial Idaho “Ag Gag” Law
]]>Animal LiberationFront PageIndependent MediaPolice StateU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/07/26/18775390.php
Oakland Activists Accused of Freeing Animals Are Charged as TerroristsTwo New Arrests Brings Total to Four Arrested for Huge String of ALF Actions in 20132015-07-27T06:57:35Z2015-07-27T06:57:35Zen-USTyler Lang and Kevin Johnson were arrested in rural Illinois, charged with felony "possession of burglary tools." Tyler served four months and was released. Kevin was sentenced to thirty months in jail and remains behind bars. In July 2014, both were charged with violating the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), a 2006 law that reclassified a wide range of petty criminal activity as “terrorism” if done in the name of harming the profits of animal enterprises. In June and July of 2015, Kevin and then Tyler pled guilty and currently await sentencing. SupportKevinandTyler.com
On July 24, 2015, the FBI arrested two more animal rights activists for allegedly freeing mink and other animals from fur farms, and vandalizing the property of animal-abusing businesses. Joseph Buddenburg and Nicole Kissane of Oakland were charged under AETA. The government alleges that since the summer of 2013 the two caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to corporations that they viewed as being cruel to animals. They are alleged to have freed 6,000 animals, including mink and bobcat, from fur farms in Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. They’re also alleged to have traveled the west coast of the U.S. and used super glue and glass etching fluid to vandalize the property of fur retailers in San Francisco, San Diego, and Minneapolis.
In 2009, Joseph Buddenburg was one of the first four people ever arrested under AETA, largely related to to free speech activism targeting animal research at the University of California. A year later, charges against the "AETA4" were dismissed.
A call-out for support for Joseph and Nicole went out for their court appearance on July 28 at the Oakland Federal Courthouse. At the hearing, Judge Ryu released Nicole from electronic monitoring and allowed her to travel but ordered that Joseph remain on home lockdown with continued monitoring. Their next scheduled court date is September 9 in San Diego.
Court Support for Nicole and Joseph |
SupportNicoleandJoseph.com
Previous Related Indybay Features: Over 10,000 Animals Released in Total Since July in Massive ALF Fur Farm Campaign |
Interview with Joseph Buddenberg of the AETA 4 |
AETA 4 Case Dismissed, But Re-Indictment Possible |
Rights Attorneys Argue Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Is an Unconstitutionally Vague Law |
Federal Authorities Arrest Four Bay Area Animal Protesters ]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaEast Bay AreaFront PagePolice StateU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/07/13/18774853.php
Salinas Rodeo Hides Animal Injuries in Violation of California LawAnimal Rights Groups Videotape Injuries to Horses and Calves at Salinas Rodeo2015-07-14T00:57:31Z2015-07-14T00:57:31Zen-US
For the last two years, SHARK has attended the California Rodeo Salinas and videotaped more than forty injuries to animals, including calves limping in pain after being dragged to the ground and a horse with a tennis ball-sized wound on his neck. Expert veterinary assessment of this footage confirms that these injuries required immediate veterinary care and should have been reported. But to mask the inherent dangerousness of rodeo events, California Rodeo Salinas has drastically and chronically underreported animal injuries. The rodeo reported only four out of the forty-one injuries to animals documented by SHARK.