Animal Liberation Press Office
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The Animal Liberation Press Office was set up in October 1991 to relay information to the media about direct action undertaken by the Animal Liberation Front, the Animal Rights Militia, the Justice Department, and other radical animal-rights groups. [1] The press office claims it receives information about actions anonymously. It states that it will "explain and seek to justify any action, whatever it may be" so long as it appears to have been carried out "with the sincere intention of furthering animal liberation." [1]
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[edit] Origins
The press office was originally part of the Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group, but split off from them in order to avoid charges of conspiracy. Former RSPCA council member Robin Webb runs the office in the UK [2] and Dr. Jerry Vlasak, a trauma surgeon, is in charge of the office in North America.
[edit] Relationship with the ALF
In the UK, the office changed its name from the ALF press office after the introduction of the Terrorism Act 2000, in order to avoid police attention and to reflect that they issue statements on behalf of a number of activist groups, and not just the Animal Liberation Front. [1]
In October 2006, the distinction between the Animal Liberation Press Office and the ALF was questioned when a High Court judge ruled that Robin Webb was bound by an injunction banning protests at Oxford University. Webb had argued that he was a journalist and not a member of the ALF or its supporters group. According to The Guardian, the judge described Webb as a "central and pivotal figure [in the ALF]" and concluded, "the press office was not a neutral reporting exercise or even simply a vehicle for apologists for the ALF, but a vital part of the ALF's strategy." [3]
[edit] See also
- Animal liberation movement
- Animal rights
- Animal testing
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
- Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c "History of the Animal Liberation Press Office", Animal Liberation Supporters' Group, retrieved May 23, 2006
- ^ "Staying on Target and Going the Distance: An Interview with UK A.L.F. Press Officer Robin Webb", No Compromise, Issue 22, undated, retrieved May 23, 2006
- ^ "Oxford wins protest injunction case", The Guardian, October 13, 2006, retrieved November 11, 2006
[edit] References
- "What is the ALF?", Animal Liberation Front, undated, retrieved October 27, 2005.
