Twin Cities Event to Support the SHAC 7 and Shutdown HLS

Twin Cities Animal Defense League (ADL) and their friends are continuing their effort locally to support our friends the SHAC 7 (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty 7) and finishing the job of shutting down Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). On Monday, September 29th, Twin Cities Animal Defense League will be holding another public event to support the SHAC 7 and the campaign against HLS.

The SHAC 7 are 6 animal rights activists and the organization Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA (SHAC USA) who were convicted on March 2, 2006, under the controversial Federal Animal Enterprise Protection Act. The Act punishes anyone who "physically disrupts" an animal enterprise. The charges stem from these activists' alleged participation in an international campaign to close the notorious product testing lab Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Specifically, these activists are alleged to have operated a website that reported on and expressed ideological support for protest activity against Huntingdon and its business affiliates. For this they are charged with "terrorism" and face an aggregate of 23 years in Federal Prison.

The SHAC 7 case is the latest in an onslaught of attacks against domestic dissidents under the guise of fighting terrorism. Animal rights is a "fringe" issue and the government is banking on the broader social justice movement to turn a blind eye to those focusing on the “less important” issue of animals and expressing “extremist” views. But make no mistake - these activists are the canaries in the mine. This case is intended to pave the way for further silencing of activists involved in all issues. It is imperative that the broader social justice movement stand behind these activists in our communal defense of free speech, press, and association. Support the SHAC 7 and support your right to free expression!

What is Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS)?

Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) is a notorious animal testing lab in East Millstone, New Jersey that is being sued by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for violating animal welfare laws over 600 times. HLS workers were exposed in five separate investigations between 1997 and 2006 for crimes including punching four-month-old beagle puppies in the face, dissecting live primates, and being intoxicated while on the job. HLS was also repeatedly found to have been falsifying scientific data, and as a result drugs tested "safe" at HLS have gone on to kill hundreds of people and hospitalize tens of thousands.

Inside Huntingdon's labs, animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, primates, fish, birds, rats and mice are forced to inhale and ingest toxic doses of pesticides, household cleaners, food additives, coffee sweeteners, diet pills, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals. The testing process usually lasts for weeks or months, during which the animals suffer severe reactions including vomiting, bleeding, paralysis. hemorrhaging, infections, and death. At the end of each study, all animals are killed and dissected. All of this is done to put out products that - due to HLS's track record of sloppy science and scientific fraud - have caused countless deaths and hospitalizations of people.

Who Wants That?

No one. In the last several years, HLS has lost all of their institutional investors, been de-listed from nearly every stock exchange in the world, and lost many of their top customers. Over 300 former business partners - such as CitiBank, Johnson and Johnson, Fidelity Investments, and Deloitte and Touché - have vowed never to work with HLS again. An ongoing global campaign is working to ensure that other companies stop supporting HLS's cruelty to animals and people, so that HLS is shut down for good.

Monday, September 29th is a Global Day of Action Against NYSE (New York Stock Exchange). Twin Cities Animal Defense League is inviting anyone who wishes to support our friends the SHAC 7, to resist this fascist government, for total animal liberation, to hold all oppressors and abusers accountable, and to show our continuing fight against this system that is based on oppression, exploitation and death to join us on Monday, September 29th for the Global Day of Action Against NYSE (New York Stock Exchange). We will be meeting Monday, September 29th in Loring Park near the fountain (Minneapolis Critical Mass meets) at 3:30PM.

For more information about the SHAC 7 visit: www.SHAC7.com

For more information about Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) visit: www.insideHLS.com

Animal Defense League chapters’ websites:

Portland, Oregon: www.pdxanimaldefense.org

Chicago, Illinois: www.chicago.animaldefense.info

Boston, Massachusetts: www.boston.animaldefense.info

Long Island, New York: www.animaldefense.info

Disclaimer: This event is not sponsored or organized by Indymedia or the moderation of Indymedia. This message has been posted by a completely independent group of individuals. This independent group that is not affiliated or associated with Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) or SHAC USA and does not conduct or incite any illegal or unethical activity.