Personal details released as animal rights activists call for direct action
Oxford gears up for weekend of protest
Last week animal rights activists released a call to action against staff members of the university, along with the personal details of 40 people linked with animal testing or the building of the animal lab on South Parks Road. Activists were told that they had ‘nothing to lose and everything to gain by hitting these targets hard’.
The call for ‘intense direct action’ identified what they called legitimate targets and said, ‘It’s time to introduce Oxford University to this kind of treatment.’ The information was collated by and signed under the name of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), and forwarded by Bite Back, an animal rights activist website. The Oxford Student received the information in an email entitled ‘ALF: “Call to action”’ last week.
The distribution of the list breached the terms of the university’s injunction against protestors who theatened ‘protected persons’ in the university. These include all university employees. The Oxford Student immediately notified the university security services about the email, who then contacted the police. Bite Back’s founder, Nicholas Atwood, told The Oxford Student the list was being disseminated. “It’s making its way around the internet - discussion groups, chat rooms, etc.
US based Atwood disseminated personal details
Atwood also said he had sent the email to four newspapers - three national and one regional. Atwood, a management postgraduate with a criminal record for animal rights activity, has been running Bite Back for at least three years. Because the information was released through a US website, Atwood is not punishable under UK legislation. Under the US first amendment, which guarantees free speech, no action can be taken against him there unless there is direct evidence of an imminent attack.
A spokesperson for the university said, “We are appalled that names and addresses of members of the university are listed in a message encouraging extremists to take direct action against those named. “It is of great concern that a small minority is willing to use intimidation, harrassment and threats of violence as part of their campaign. It is totally unacceptable that individuals engaged in entirely lawful activities should be threatened in this way. The University security spokesman said he was surprised at the list’s distribution, emphasising that the information sets up a target for activists. He emphasised that it is not a new list, but one put up once before, now reformatted and edited. Last time it was put up on a UK website, but promptly removed by the internet service provider.
“This time, the activists are trying to go through the back door,” he said, referring to the use of a US website to avoid UK legislation. Security measures have already been taken in response to the email. “The university contacted the police as soon as we were made aware of this communication, and has been in touch with those named to offer additional security advice,” a university spokesperson told The Oxford Student.
In the absence of any international guidelines for internet law, there is no international overseer on a government level. ALF spokesperson Robin Webb said the list would have been sent to Bite Back through an anonymous account. “The ALF as an organisation does not exist, it consists of individuals or groups of people acting under the umbrella of the ALF,” he said. Webb claimed the call to action was not a new campaign: “It just re-emphasises that of the college boathouses.
Commenting on the ALF’s actions, Webb said, “It is up to the individual activist what action is taken. Anything from broken windows to committing arson attacks is acceptable, as long as lives are not endangered. “Anything associated with Oxford University or the building contractors will be considered legitimate targets.” Bite Back originated as a magazine and then also ran a website, based in the US.
It has become the focus for anonymous claims by activists, allowing them to list information they would not otherwise have been able to put up on a UK website. Thames Valley Police have confirmed that they are currently looking into the activists’ actions: “We are aware of the emails and that they were sent to various sources, and we are looking into their origins.”
23rd Feb 2006