Animal Rights Militia
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Animal Rights Militia (ARM) is a name used by a fringe group of animal rights activists who engage in terrorism "direct action" and "physical confrontation" with people whom they claim are involved in animal torture, with the purpose of saving animals. Like the Animal Liberation Front, from which it likely splintered, it is a leaderless "resistance" movement and consists of autonomous small cells acting independently. Its tactics include sending letter bombs,[1] committing arson,[2] blackmailing, and threatening mass assassination,[3] which is viewed as "terrorism" by most reasonable people. They also fail to notice that their actions are, in themselves, torturing animals — said animals being members of the species homo sapiens. As such, they are guilty of the very thing they are trying to stop. They distinguish themselves from the Animal Liberation Front in that the ALF seeks to avoid directly harming humans, while those who operate under this banner do not.[4]
They got their start in the early 1980s, when they sent letter bombs to all of the major British political parties. An office manager for Margaret Thatcher's office was injured with minor burns as a result.[5] Two years later, they managed to detonate bombs in two vehicles belonging to biological researchers, which destroyed the cars. In 1986, they planted similar devices in the cars of researchers associated with testing facility Huntingdon Life Sciences,
but some one may have had pangs of conscience because the police were notified and the bombs defused.[6]
Subsequent activities by the group have been covered in somewhat lesser glory. In 1987, individuals operating under this name managed to start a fire in a butcher shop in San José, California.[7] In 2004, they stole the body of an elderly woman from her grave, as part of a campaign of terror against a farm that bred guinea pigs for research.[8] Since these acts, the main activity of the group has been food tampering; claiming to have poisoned bottles of POM fruit juice is a typical act.[9]
In an interesting combination of fundamentalist ideologies, jailed ARM letterbomber Glynn Harding told police the he had reached an agreement with Jesus that in exchange for mailing 100 bombs, Harding’s stillborn child would be allowed to enter heaven.[1]
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- See the Wikipedia article on Animal Rights Militia.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 ARM letter bomber sent to mental institution
- ↑ Southern Poverty Law Center
- ↑ "UK Scientists on alert after death threats" BBC News
- ↑ "Staying on Target and Going the Distance: An Interview with U.K. A.L.F. Press Officer Robin Webb". No Compromise (22).
- ↑ Britain plans to tighten mail security, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2 December 1982.
- ↑ Mann, Keith. From Dusk 'til Dawn: An insider's view of the growth of the Animal Liberation Movement. Puppy Pincher Press, 2007, p. 497.
- ↑ Eco-Violence: The Record, Southern Poverty Law Center.
- ↑ Jail for animal rights extremists who stole body of elderly woman from her grave, The Guardian, May 2006
- ↑ Communiqué from the Animal Rights Militia. Date: December 14, 2006