Public Relations and Animal Rights TOPICS (The UK Experience) Brief History of Animal Activism Animal Activist Groups Strategy and Tactics Legal Redress Malcolm R. Campbell QPM Current Methods Used Director of Risk Management Assessing the Threat Security of Company Sites Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations UK Advice to Staff Questions BRIEF HISTORY OF ANIMAL ACTIVISM ANIMAL ACTIVISTS Animal activis m in the UK dates back to 1898 w hen the National Anti- Vivisection Society and the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection were formed Eco-Terrorists 1924 – League Against Cruel Sports formed 1962 – Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) formed Cellular structure – difficult to penetrate 1967 – Dairy farmer Peter Roberts founds Compassion in World Wide variety of tactics Farming (CIWF) Passionate in their beliefs 1971 – The Luton group of the HSA formed by Ronnie Lee w ho decided to introduce an element of violence to their activities Many follow vegan lifestyles 1972 – The Band of Mercy formed. It w as the forerunner of the ALF Internationally organised and funded and concentrated upon inflicting sabotage and criminal damage. It led to Ronnie Lee being sent to prison in 1975 and on his release in 1976 Like all terrorists they court publicity as the ALF w as formed. their oxygen 1976 – Animal Liberation Front (ALF) formed Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) 1995 Protestor Jill Phipps killed by lorry while demonstrating against Farmed Animal Action – Tina Brumfield export of live animals at Coventry Airport 1997 – Huntingdon Life Sciences is infiltrated and secret video footage Animal Liberation Front (ALF) shot w hich is later show n on national television 1999 – SHA C founded and later spreads to USA, Ger many, Italy, Portugal and Sw itzerland 1 Animal Liberation Front (ALF) THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HUNTINGDON LIFE SCIENCES The Animal Liberation Front consists of small autonomous groups of people all over the world that • Formed in November 1999 and branches later set up in carry out direct action according to the A.L.F. USA and Europe guidelines. These groups are called cells and range from one • Founder Greg Avery was married to He athe r James individual to many individuals working closely together. but is now married to Natasha Dallemagne. All three Activists in one cell do not know A.L.F. activists in have served prison sentences for their activities. another cell because they remain anonymous. This is what helps to keep activists out of jail, and free to be • Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) are the largest active another day. contract testing lab in Europe Since there is not a central organisation or membership • SHAC claims to have had spectacular successes guide to the A.L.F., people are driven only by their own against Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) and those personal conscience or cell decisions to carry out actions. The A.L.F. is non-hierarchical in its structure service providers supporting them which allows for only those people involved directly in the action to control their own destiny. SHAC’s STRATEGY SHAC’s TACTICS Examining what allows a company to SHAC uses every tool at its disposal from operate and then attacking those protests, to letter writing, to phone pillars of corporate support is at the blockades, publicity stunts and direct action heart of the strategy The ALF have jumped on the bandwagon Tired of direct action against HLS since SHAC have had more success than premises, the SHAC campaign selects the ALF. Many of the so called SHAC secondary targets in the form of HLS’s attacks are in fact carried out by the ALF. soft underbelly Violence has crept into the proceedings and there have been recent threats of kidnap made against wives and children of key HLS personnel 2 SOME OF THE COMPA NIES WHO HAVE DUMPED HLS THE IMPACT MADE BY SHAC Allied Irish Bank National Securities Allergan NatWest Bank British Biotech Oracle P art ners Cambridg e P et Cremat orium In 4 short years SHA C has brought one of the w orld’s Charles S chwab ( world’s Persching Keen (Credit Suisse First Bos ton) largest animal testing labs to its knees largest onli ne br oker) Citibank Pearsons Waste It has succeeded in having HLS kicked off the New CPS fuels Phillips & Dr ew DeloitteTouche Quilcap York and London Stock Exchanges Dresdner Klei nwor t Wassers tei n Rilko Nominees It has forced the British government as a last resort to GVR C o RL Slaughter Hales waste company Rohm&Haas act as its banker and accountant Hargreaves Landsdown Royal Bank of Scotland It has cost HLS in the region of £60 million Herzog H eine Gedul d I nc Schr oders Hill Thompson Magid &Co Spencer Edwards As the Financial Times said …………. "A tiny group HSBC (the world’s second largest State Street bank) of activists is succeeding where Karl Marx, the Industrial Boiler Services Stephens Inc Sunlight Baader-Meinhof gang and the Red Brigade failed" The Labour Party Ladenburg TD Wat erhouse (UK’s l argest exec ution Legal & G eneral onl y br oker) Marsh (T he worl d's larges t insur anc e Thal mann & C o broker) Toxweb Mercur y Ass et Manag ement Trimar k Merck Wei n Securiti es Merrill Lynch West LB Panmure White Rose Environmental Winterfl oods WMV Frankel & Co HITTING BACK CURRENT METHODS Major organised and pre-planned demonstrations, e.g. in city centres, May Day protests HLS RESORT TO COURT ACTION Local demonstrations at specific locations, e.g. at company premises OTHER COMPANIES FOLLOW Planned or spontaneous demonstrations at an HIGH COURT GRANTS INJUNCTIONS individual’s home address or in the neighbourhood AGAINST SHAC, ALF AND NOMINATED Bomb or malicious telephone threats to third parties, INDIVIDUALS company premises or individual’s home address INJUNCTIONS ALSO COVER Improvised incendiary or hoax devices at company premises EMPLOYEES’ HOME ADDRESSES Intrusions into companies for ‘sit ins’, obtaining information such as details of staff or supplying companies Releasing animals from research premises or hunt kennels Hoax or malicious mail sent to company premises or homes of staff 3 CURRENT METHODS Live Exports Demonstration Sending unsolicited goods and services to home addresses or companies Physical assaults on individuals Telephone switchboard jamming campaigns Fax machine blockades E-mail saturation campaigns Infiltration of companies to later publish detrimental information in the media Spraying paint, acid or other noxious substances on company or private vehicles Blockading of docks and airports used for animal transportation Targeting haulage companies Disrupting company business by the use of horn blowing, megaphones, discharging fireworks, shouting threats and obscenities at staff entering and leaving premises Arson Attack ASSESSING THE THREAT STEP 1 Identify what sort of threats you are facing STEP 2 Identify what it is that you want to protect – people, property, vehicles, research projects, data - and in what ways they are vulnerable to extremist attack in particular STEP 3 Identify the most appropriate measures to reduce the risk to an acceptable level (you must accept that you may not be able to eliminate it altogether) 4 SECURITY OF COMPANY SITES SECURITY OF COMPANY SITES Well designed boundary fences Introduce secure procedures for the handling of mail Reduce the number of site entrances to a minimum, and courier deliveries – if there is a perceived threat of preferably one if possible explosive devices being received install an x-ray Install effective control to site entry for vehicles and machine pedestrians, issuing identity badges to all regular authorised Employ a well trained and experienced Security vehicles Manager whose duties should include liaison with the Install an effective photo identity card and access system for Human Resources Department (HR) in the recruitment staff and some form of effective control to all buildings for of all staff contractors and visitors Develop a detailed procedure for handling emergency Install a digital Closed Circuit Television System (CCTV), situations, for example a bomb threat or the receipt of monitored from a security control room a noxious substance Recruit a high standard of security guard, ensuring effective Ensure that a procedure is in place to deal with a demonstration by activists/extremists or a site management, good pay and conditions – either in house or a well respected contract company incursion, including specific advice to staff and the security team Install an effective intruder alarm system and keep vehicles secured Develop good and regular liaison with local police ADVICE TO STAFF ADVICE TO STAFF AT WORK Do not give out your name, telephone number or e- mail address, or AT HOME those of colleagues over the telephone unless you are sure of the Never reveal your home address, post code, telephone number or bank identity of the caller detail s unless you are compl etel y happy to do so. If undecided, decl ine to At meetings w ith non-company staff be careful about discussing your give the information, take the person’s details and check that they are work and to w hom you give your business card bona fide before going further Seek security advice if arranging off-site meetings to ensure that Do not display any company information on or in your car when you are away from the company site. Check your vehicle for tampering each time basic security measures are taken e.g. do not display the company you return to it, especi all y each morning name on hotel event notice boards Pay parti cular attenti on to domestic security arrangements ensuring that If you encounter demonstrators w hen entering or leaving the site, do basic precautions are taken to secure homes and vehicles and that if not engage them in conversation – it may escalate the situation alarms are fi tted, they are al ways set If you become aw are of a site incursion by demonstrators inform Ensure that garden hoses, tools, ladders etc.