Revolutionary Cells – Animal Liberation Brigade

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The Revolutionary Cells – Animal Liberation Brigade (RCALB), known simply as Animal Liberation Brigade (ALB), is a name used by

animal abusers.[1][2][3]

The Revolutionary Cells is not a group, but an example of a

covert cells who carry out direct action similar to the Animal Rights Militia (ARM).[4]

Founded in the United States, after bombing

The

Philosophy

Guidelines

The Revolutionary Cells guidelines was posted on the Bite Back website after the second bombing:[1]

  • To take strategic direct action (be it non-violent or not) against the oppressive institutions that permeate the world.
  • Make every effort to minimize non-target casualties, be they human or non-human.
  • Respect a diversity of tactics, whether they be non-violent or not.
  • Any underground activist fighting for the liberation of the human, earth or animal nations may consider themselves a Revolutionary Cells volunteer.

Who are RCALB?

The Bite Back communique also explained who the Revolutionary Cells were and why they exist:[1]

The revolutionary cells exists as a front group for militants across the liberationary movement spectrum. We are

, and many more things across various other fronts. Where ever there is oppression there are those unwilling to idly stand by and let it occur, and those people make up the nucleus of the revolutionary cells.

Structure and aims

The group formed the same leaderless-resistance model as the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), which consists of small, autonomous, covert terror cells acting independently. A cell may consist of just one person.[4]

According to the

Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, the Front describes itself as "an international coalition fighting injustice". The Institute's knowledge Base describes it as an "unusually violent animal-rights terrorist movement ... with a penchant for hyperbole and casting about pretensions of power and importance."[9] Oren Segal, co-director of Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism, believes the group consists of the same few "lone wolves" that carry out actions in the name of the ALF and Earth Liberation Front (ELF), "the names are interchangeable ... they're going to rename themselves depending on what actions they're doing."[10]

The existence of activists calling themselves the Revolutionary Cells or Animal Rights Militia (ARM), another name used to inflict violence, reflects a struggle within the Animal Liberation Front and the animal rights movement in general, between those who believe violence and terror tactics are justified, and those who insist the movement should reject it in favor of non-violent resistance.[11]

Extensional self-defense

poachers
who wish to sell their body parts in international markets:

"Pacifists cannot stop poachers, but bullets can, and while many measures must be taken to protect endangered species, right now armed soldiers are the best protection rhinos and elephants have against murderous, weapon-wielding poachers."[15]

In testimony to the Senate in 2005, Jerry Vlasak stated that he regarded violence against Huntingdon Life Sciences as an example of extensional self-defense.[16]

Actions

Pipe bombs

The RCALB took credit for its first action on 27 August 2003, when two "

pipe bombs filled with an ammonium nitrate" were placed at Chiron Corporation's offices in Emeryville, California. Both devices were packed with nails to act as shrapnel. Chiron was targeted because of a contract with Huntingdon Life Sciences, a New Jersey-based animal testing contractor.[17] A group calling itself Revolutionary Cells of the Animal Liberation Brigade e-mailed a statement to reporters taking credit for the bombing which was also sent to the Bite Back website.[2] One of the bombs exploded an hour after the first, although no casualties resulted from the second blast, as the second device was discovered and the area cleared before the explosion.[3]

Office bombing

In September 2003, the RCALB took responsibility for another bombing, this time at the offices of Shaklee Inc. in

FBI's most wanted terrorists list.[3][8] A statement was again released from the group to Bite Back this time also including their manifesto.[1][18] It was thought the bomb was this intended to cause harm, as nails flew out "at a speed of 100 miles an hour", although again no one was harmed.[3]

Incendiary device

On 24 June 2007, an explosive device was placed under a car belonging to Arthur Rosenbaum, a pediatric

ophthalmologist who carries out animal experimentation with cats and rhesus monkeys at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA. The device failed to explode because of a faulty fuse, but was still claimed by the Animal Liberation Brigade who called for "an end to systematic violence and oppression".[19] UCLA offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of the bomber. Then acting Chancellor, Norman Abrams, said the university "remains steadfast in its commitment to the lawful use of laboratory animals in research for the benefit of society."[20][21]

Letter bombs

Although no suspicious packages have yet been found, RCALB claimed in January 2009 to

Animal Liberation Press Office that the act was not a hoax, with officials at the primate center claiming threats and protests have happened before and were unacceptable.[6][22][23][24]

Vehicle firebombed

In the early hours of 7 March 2009, the Animal Liberation Brigade once again targeted UCLA. This time setting ablaze and destroying a car belonging to researcher J. David Jentsch. The UCLA Chancellor described the latest attack as "reprehensible", with the University raising the reward for information leading to the arrest of the activists to nearly $500,000.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Revolutionary Cells Claims Explosion - Releases communique/guidelines Archived 21 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Bite Back, 30 September 2003.
  2. ^ a b Chiron Blast Claimed by the Animal Liberation Brigade, Bite Back, 29 August 2007
  3. ^ a b c d e Daniel San Diego - Fugitive Archived 24 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, America's Most Wanted, 30 August 2008.
  4. ^ a b c "Ecoterrorism: Extremism in the Animal Rights and Environmentalist Movements". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b The Law Enforcement Agency Resource Network Archived 21 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^
    News10
    , 12 January 2009.
  7. ^ Daniel San Diego - Fugitive Archived 24 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, America's Most Wanted, 30 August 2008.
  8. ^ a b Daniel Andreas San Diego, wanted by the FBI Archived 17 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
  9. ^ Revolutionary Cells Animal Liberation Brigade Group Profile, MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base, retrieved, 17 August 2007. Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Range McDonald, Patrick, Monkey madness at UCLA Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, LA Weekly, 8 August 2007.
  11. ^ Lee, Ronnie. Controversial Actions Archived 12 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine, No Compromise (magazine), issue #23.
  12. ^ a b "DR. STEVE BEST, PHD". 12 January 2009. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  13. ^ a b Best, Steven. "Who's Afraid of Jerry Vlasak?" Archived 21 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Animal Liberation Press Office.
  14. . If physical force is needed to save an animal from attack, then that force is a legitimate form of what I call "extensional self defense." This principle mirrors US penal code statutes known as the "necessity defense," which can be invoked when a defendant believed that an illegal act was necessary to avoid great and imminent harm. One only needs to expand this concept slightly to cover actions that are increasingly desperate and necessary to protect animals from the total war against them.
  15. .
  16. ^ "Animal Rights Leader Dr. Jerry Vlasak Endorses Murder Of Scientists In U.S. Senate Testimony". Center for Consumer Freedom. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Animal rights group says it set bombs". Chron. 30 August 2003. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  18. ^ It's War! The Escalating Battle between Activists and the Corporate-State Complex Archived 16 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Best, Steven, Essays.
  19. ^ anonymous communique Archived 7 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Bite Back, 28 June 2007.
  20. ^ "Monkey Madness at UCLA", LA Weekly, 8 August 2007.
  21. ^ "Animal Liberation Brigade Claims Attempted Firebombing in Los Angeles" Archived 27 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine, 29 June 2007.
  22. Animal Liberation Press Office
    , 10 January 2009.
  23. ^ "California National Primate Research Center Sent Letter Bombs". animalliberationpressoffice.org. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  24. ^ "Crime in the Name of Animal Rights". www.naiaonline.org. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  25. ^ "Activists destroy UCLA researcher's car in Los Angeles, Calif. - 3/10/09 - Los Angeles-Southern California-LA Breaking News, Weather, Traffic, Sports - abc7.com". 12 March 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2021.

External links