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And in Sweden on the night of 24th April, 25 rabbits were rescued from a lab animal breeder in Norrtalje. The Swedish ALF claimed responsibility. Since then several vivisection labs have been attacked by activists and animals have been liberated.

Back in England, activists continued a high profile direct action campaign against Consort Beagles (a company that breeds dogs for experiments). Consort had already been the target of several huge demos and raids during the first part of 1997. In May the ALF broke in and rescued 15 beagles, and daily protests took place at the gate for several months. Consort eventually gave in to the pressure and closed down permanently after several ALF raids, a few riots, protests at the homes of staff, vandalism and over 200 daily protests at the front gate.

In August Barry Horne decided to resume his hunger strike to force the new UK Labour Party Government to keep its promises on animal experiment issues. Again the entire UK movement backed him up with massive protests and a permanent protest camp set up at the gates of Huntingdon Life Sciences, a huge vivisection laboratory. Hillgrove Farm (breeders of cats for vivisection) were also the targets of a campaign. On September 26th, Barry called off his hunger strike as the UK government had agreed to negotiate with his representatives for an eventual end to vivisection.

Over in Finland the ALF rescued four beagle dogs from a vivisection breeding unit in September and in the United States school teacher Rick Bogle was in the middle of his nationwide mission to protest each of the seven US Primate Research Centers. His tour began in May and held a nine day vigil at the gate of each lab. Local activists have turned out to support him at each stop. At his stop in California, the police wouldn't let him stand outside the Davis vivisection lab and arrested him twice in one day for attempting his peaceful protest. He refused to leave and they held him in jail for 6 days. As we go to print Rick is arriving at the Yerkes vivisection lab in Atlanta for the last stop of his tour.

In November the campaign against Hillgrove cat farm continued in the UK, and there were some very big protests. Eight people were arrested at one of these as police on horseback charged into the 300 strong crowd.

The latest news is that Barry Horne who has been an inspiration for many of the anti vivisection campaigners around the world this year, was sentenced to a huge eighteen year sentence for his 'crimes'. Already activists around the world are saying that this unjust sentence has not deterred anyone, in fact it has made people even more determined and 1998 should see some of the energy we have seen overseas infecting anti vivisectionists here in Aotearoa.

Beagles liberated from Consort on May 13th
Photo: ALFSG(UK)