UK Indymedia

Anti-vivisectionists march against Novartis after court victory

04-11-2009 08:26

As part of the SHAC campaign 70 people turned out for a demonstration and march against Novartis' headquarters (an animal research centre and top HLS target) in Horsham on Saturday 31st October.

Up until 2pm the day before Sussex Action For Animals (SAFA) were not even sure that the demonstration would be able to take place. Earlier in the month Novartis had attempted to get an interim injunction using the notoriously repressive solicitor Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden, known for numerous HLS injunctions and failing to seize a protestor's assets amongst other civil liberties issues.

Novartis were seeking to prevent banners on the demonstration from bearing the words "Novartis", or carry posters showing images of animal suffering. They didn't want protesters to be able to wear masks or costumes; in particular blood stained lab coats. They did also mention something about fireworks! However, despite the best efforts to dredge up any dirt they could to support their application, the judge found in favour of the campaigners.

Recent features: March against Novartis on Saturday | Newcastle March & Demo Against Sanofi-Aventis | Direct Action Withdraws HLS Loan Facilities | Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares As Buyout Approaches | Operation Liberation Demo at Highgate Rabbit Farm | Novartis CEO's hunting lodge destroyed | Highgate Farm Protest Camp | Largest Shareholder Barclays and Top Investors Dump HLS | More features

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Newcastle March & Demo Against Sanofi-Aventis

13-10-2009 22:26

Update: Newcastle Animal Rights raided by police

Newcastle Animal Rights Group in support with Vegi North East, SHAC Birmingham, SHAC Leeds, Hull Animal Rights along with numerous other animal rights groups and residents of Newcastle marched against vivisection on Octoboer 9th in the city centre of Newcastle before proceeding to demonstrate against top HLS customer Sanofi Aventis.

Activists met at Newcastle Civic Centre for 12 pm and then set off at 12.45pm armed with banners and placards, megaphones and loud voices making a visual and noisy march on Northumberland Street, gaining a lot of public support and cheers. The image was clear, the message was clear, NO TO ANIMAL CRUELTY, NO TO HLS!

Newswire: Report | Arrests | Photos | Video

Links: Newcastle Animal Rights | SHAC | SHAC topic page

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Direct Action Withdraws HLS Loan Facilities

07-10-2009 20:34

Update: SHAC receive inside information proving the statement from Fortress to be a lie, so the campaign is relaunched against them.

In August this year, Anchor Sub Funding were exposed as the front company set up by BDO Luxembourg in 2006, that loaned $30 million to Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory, Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). In response, activists protested at offices in Birmingham, Cambridge, Berkshire, Bristol, Manchester, Dublin (Ireland), Gothenburg (Sweden) and a directors home in New York City (USA). The Animal Rights Militia (ARM) also visited the adresses of BDO directors in Luxembourg, leaving incendiary devices underneath an expensive car at one home and painting the other with death threats, before setting fire to the garden. The day after the ARM action was reported Anchor Sub Funding subsequently dissolved and cut its ties with HLS, withdrawing also from any future loans.

As a result, on September 25th, Fortress Investment Group were revealed as the company who payed BDO to set up the shell company. Within a week and at their first demo, Fortress stated they fully divested from HLS, a claim later authenticated by Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). The news comes at a cruical time as HLS CEO Andrew Baker attempts to complete a buyout of the company, now without Fortress' additional loan required to complete the deal.

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Operation Liberation Demo at Highgate Rabbit Farm

30-09-2009 18:24

On Saturday 26th September, 350 people demonstrated outside Highgate Rabbit Farm in Lincolnshire, a supplier of rabbits and ferrets to the vivisection industry, including Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), Europe's largest and most exposed lab. The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) protest titled 'Operation Liberation' was part of the campaign to close down the farm and hailed as a success, bringing the attention of local people to the farms immoral practices.

Several short speeches were made by campaigners as protesters stood 750 metres from the farm which lies in Normanby-on-Spital. They were not allowed to stand any closer to the farm as police had placed a Section 14 Notice on the premises which forbids members of the public from passing the 750 metre perimeter. As demonstrators arrived police used a 12 by 6 foot banner to announce the implementation of the legislation.

Previous features: Operation Liberation: Highgate Rabbit Farm | Highgate Farm Protest Camp

Indymedia SHAC topic pages: UK | Northern

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Operation Liberation: Highgate Rabbit Farm

26-09-2009 08:30

OPERATION LIBERATION REPORTING:

IMC Northern England will be providing coverage of the SHAC UK national Demonstration at Highgate Rabbit Farm, Lincolnshire on Saturday 26th September.

Those at the demo can phone in their news of the days events to:

07513783376

Alternatively, you can publish pictures/video/text direct from your phone to the Northern Indymedia "Tumblewire" from an internet enabled phone to mob.northern-indymedia.org

During the midnight hours of 6th January 2008, Animal Liberation Front (ALF) volunteers gained entry to Highgate Rabbit Farm, in Lincolnshire, who imprison animals waiting to suffer and die in the miserable vivisection industry (Pictures | Video). 129 rabbits were liberated with £70,000 worth of damage caused to the farm and its vehicles.

Following the raid, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) reported the farm subsequently stopped supplying rabbits for animal testing, in a plan to close down the business. However, after instruction from the police, the farm reluctantly resumed supplying rabbits to laboratories, one of which is Europe's biggest and most exposed lab Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS).

Therefore as part of a global week of action against vivisection breeders, SHAC have called a UK national demonstration for Saturday 26th September, directly outside the farm, in an attempt to save the rest of the animals and close down the lab supplier. Just days later ALF activists claimed they painted slogans against those who own and run the farm, such as 'Douglas Family Bunny Butchers' and 'Douglas Animal Abusers' in the Market Rasen area.

Links: About Highgate | Demo/Transport Details | Resources | Action

See also: Highgate Farm Protest Camp

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Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares As Buyout Approaches

18-08-2009 12:48

On August 1st, Win Animal Rights (W.A.R.) launched a campaign to influence the top Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) Investor, Morgan Stanley, (who recently bought LSR stock) to divest their large holding of LSR shares. With 679,225 shares, Morgan Stanley was a 5% owner of Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory, swiftly selling all their LSR stock within a week of the campaign against them.

Protests included W.A.R. visiting the homes of 5 senior executives, as well as the two co-presidents of the firm, and five days later demonstrating at the headquarters of Morgan Stanley in New York City. This was followed by visits to the homes of multiple senior executives of the company.

The divestiture comes as LSR/HLS CEO, Andrew Baker, moves forward with his plans to acquire HLS and make it a privately held company, therefore delisting themselves from the NYSE (a major target in the campaign to close HLS). The proxy statement makes it abundantly clear that activists have had a tremendous impact on LSR/HLS' financial predicament, causing them to have limited options for the future.

Previous features: Novartis CEO's hunting lodge destroyed | Highgate Farm Protest Camp | Operation Liberation: Highgate Rabbit Farm | Largest Shareholder Barclays and Top Investors Dump HLS | World Day for Animals in Laboratories March | SHAC supporter unlawfully arrested at Barclays Bank | SHAC Shakedown City Investors | Top HLS Investors Dump Shares | HLS Exposed - Yet Again! SHAC To Shakedown Financial Investors In The City | 50 Years For The UK SHAC 7 | Anti-vivisection campaigners convicted of blackmail | Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares | SHAC Prepares For National March & Rally | Victory for animal rights campaigners | Activist Imprisoned for Shouting | Fisher Scientific Embarrassed Over Links with HLS | SHAC World Day for Lab Animals | Asahi Glass Protesters Harassed by Police | "March Against the Murderers"

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Novartis CEO's hunting lodge destroyed

07-08-2009 10:27

"Dealing with HLS means dealing with US." - MFAH Austria

In an act of direct action against top Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) customer Novartis, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Vasella had his hunting lodge in the town of Bach, in Tyrol, Austria, destroyed by fire (see photos). The Militant Forces Against HLS (MFAH) claimed responsibility for the arson in an anonymous communique, calling on Vasella to sever all ties with HLS. The activists reported that Vasella butchers animals at HLS, Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory, through contracts made with Novartis, as well as butchering animals in his own private hunting estate. A spokesperson for Novartis said he has now decided to sell the property that was burnt with 60 litres of petrol.

The MFAH formed in April this year and have targeted HLS customers in France, Germany, Belgium and now Austria. They are relatively unknown and adhere to no guidelines, although are affiliated with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). In recent months the militant group have reportedly targeted Novartis in France, burning down a sports centre and in Germany, vandalising the Vice Chairman's cars and home, returning a month later to place incendiary devices under his two cars. They have also targeted HLS customers Sandoz, Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer, Schering Plough and Pfizer.

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Highgate Farm Protest Camp

01-08-2009 00:47

On Monday 27th July, activists occupied land near the entrance of Highgate Rabbit Farm, in Lincolnshire, in protest against their breeding of rabbits and ferrets for the vivisection industry. Highgate Farm supply several university and commercial laboratories, including Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). In conjunction with Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) the campers are holding a peaceful protest, calling on the closure of the farm, and for the farmer to hand the animals over to a suitable organisation for rehoming.

The protest has recieved positive coverage on the front page of the local newspaper and support from locals who put up Highgate Farm posters in local villages for the upcoming national demonstration. This caused a Stafford police officer to express concerns that it may be the beginning of "the new Newchurch", begging campers not to visit the now guarded farm during the night. In reponse, Ian Caswell from South Yorkshire FIT team made an appearance, the council threatened an eviction (that was subsequently retracted), and a police helicopter hovered over the camp.

During Wednesday night, a shot rabbit with a rope tied around their neck was then thrown at the camp from the direction of the farm, which is now under investigation by CID. Protesters have therefore called for more people to come and support the camp after extending it past Friday.

Links: Background info about the Highgate campaign | SHAC topic page

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Operation Liberation: Highgate Rabbit Farm

27-07-2009 20:27

Update: Protest camp set up near the entrance of Highgate Rabbit Farm (see timelines for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday).

During the midnight hours of 6th January 2008, Animal Liberation Front (ALF) volunteers gained entry to Highgate Rabbit Farm, in Lincolnshire, who imprison animals waiting to suffer and die in the miserable vivisection industry (Pictures | Video). 129 rabbits were liberated with £70,000 worth of damage caused to the farm and its vehicles.

Following the raid, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) reported the farm subsequently stopped supplying rabbits for animal testing, in a plan to close down the business. However, after instruction from the police, the farm reluctantly resumed supplying rabbits to laboratories, one of which is Europe's biggest and most exposed lab Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS).

Therefore as part of a global week of action against vivisection breeders, SHAC have called a UK national demonstration for Saturday 26th September, directly outside the farm, in an attempt to save the rest of the animals and close down the lab supplier.

Links: About Highgate | Demo Details | Resources | Action

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Largest Shareholder Barclays and Top Investors Dump HLS

17-05-2009 23:12

This week it was announced Barclays and four other large investors dropped all shares in Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory. LSR stock owned by institutional shareholders has now fallen to 12%, placing HLS $4 million below the NYSE minimum listing standard for market value (the only stock exchange listing the company, a major target in the campaign to close HLS).

Following a legal challenge against the CEO's proposal to purchase all of the outstanding LSR stock, an intense global campaign and recent repression against SHAC in Birmingham, a total of 797,284 shares have now been sold. Barclays Global Investors, Barclays Plc, Hartford Investment Management Company, Rice Hall James and Associates LLC, Bank of New York Mellon and Wells Fargo sold all their shares, of which over 400,000 were held by previously largest shareholder Barclays.

Barclays campaign: Global (Videos) | London | Direct action | SHAC topic page