Animal rights activists take fight to new level

LONDON - As an act of terrorism, a man being sprayed in the eyes with ammonia as he returned home from work ranks low on the Richter scale of urban violence.

It was painful for him, and distressing for his wife and children, who watched helplessly as the two balaclava-wearing attackers went on to smash windows and kick in the front door.

Ordinarily, such an attack, two days before Christmas, would be condemned and quickly forgotten. But not this one. This was seen as a disturbing new front in the war between animal rights activists and Britain's biggest animal testing laboratory.

In this war, there have been death threats, firebombed cars, evil whispers on the telephone and vividly descriptive hate mail. But, until this attack, there had been no physical violence against people. Now, it seems, the gloves are off.

On one side is Huntingdon Life Sciences in Cambridgeshire, a company which tests drugs on animals to check their safety before human consumption.

On the other is Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (Shac), a coalition of animal-rights activists which has taken protest to levels which terrify company directors and hit them where it hurts - in the pocket. Huntingdon shares traded at over £3.50 in 1990. Today, they are worth less than 3p.

This week, Shac turned its attention to the Royal Bank of Scotland, National Westminster Bank and Tesco. At a time when Huntingdon is on its knees with a £22 million overdraft, the Royal Bank of Scotland (owner of Nat West, which authorised the original loan) extended its credit for the fourth time in less than six months, this time for 14 days, while the company seeks new finance in America.

"The only thing standing between Huntingdon and going bust is that loan," said Shac organiser Greg Avery. "So we're going to take our protests to the Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest.

"There will be sit-ins, demonstrations and poster campaigns. And we'll target Tesco. All their financial products, from personal banking to car insurance, are provided by the Royal Bank of Scotland. That's the bank's Achilles' heel; Tesco has a strict policy on animal testing.

"Their customers won't like it when we tell them their banker is propping up a company that kills 500 animals in experiments every day."

It is this tactical acumen that has made the campaign so successful and also so frightening. First, employees were shouted at and threatened at home. More than 10 have lost their cars to firebombs in the middle of the night. Some are receiving counselling, others have quit, unable to cope with messages such as, "We know which school your kid goes to."

Then the protesters aimed at directors of Huntingdon's clients. After receiving threats against them or their families, some caved and withdrew their business. In other cases, demonstrators staged noisy protests outside the homes of workers or directors.

Next, prominent shareholders were hit. Many, including the Labour Party's superannuation fund, sold up to avoid hassle. Among them was Phillips & Drew, a large pension fund manager. The Bank of New York offloaded more than seven million Huntingdon shares.

"It is sheer terrorism and people are caving in under its weight," said one Huntingdon director.

The Animal Liberation Front stole more than 50 hunting beagles from the grounds of Wye College in Kent last week. And four letterbombs have been sent to potential victims. One, near Congleton, Cheshire, slightly injured Leah Cain, aged 6.

This week, the front claimed responsibility for setting off a car bomb outside the home of a fox hunt supporter near Oxted.

So, is it fair to terrorise families, to send threats, to attack people in front of their children?

"We don't condone any of that, but I'm not surprised it's happening," said Avery. "You should hear people outside Huntingdon Life Sciences, shouting that the place should be burned down and these people attacked. That isn't me saying that; it's Joe Public."

Avery and his friends believe testing could be as efficiently carried out on cell cultures as animals. The extent to which Joe Public, ever hungry for more effective medicines, agrees or cares is debatable.

- HERALD CORRESPONDENTS